[1] Burleigh married Corydon Bryant Kellum of Albany, New York in 1844 when she was eighteen and they moved to Cincinnati, Ohio.

In 1849 Burleigh became an editor of a journal called The Great West and worked at that for about a year.

[4] In 1862 Burleigh accepted a position as personal secretary for the educator Emma Willard, who was then 75.

In 1864, she had developed a relationship with social activist William Henry Burleigh, a New York City harbor master.

[5] The society was formed in protest to one of her associates being excluded from an all men's press club dinner.

Burleigh stood on the platform at the Convention of the Northwestern Woman's Suffrage Association alongside Susan B. Anthony.

She developed a strong following in a short time and was asked to stay on as their permanent minister.

[10][11][12][13] Among those officiating at the ordination were Reverend John Chadwick and Julia Ward Howe.