How well do you know our history?
|
Featured Articles
Woman's Rights Convention in July 1848
“A Convention to discuss the social, civic, and religious condition and rights of woman, will be held in the Wesleyan Chapel, at Seneca Falls, N.Y., on Wednesday and Thursday the 19th and 20th concurrent. 1st day women - second day - open to the public” The Convention was organized by female Quakers, along with Mary Ann McClintock and Elizabeth Cady Stanton. The women reviewed positions from previous conventions but found them “too tame.” They decided to base their positions on the 1776 Declaration of Independence with modifications to make it appropriate for a statement by women. The “Declaration of Sentiments” along with eleven resolutions was made ready for presentation. Although the first day was to be exclusively women in attendance, men were accepted. Sessions included lectures on law, a humorous presentation and several discussions on the role of women in society. The “Declaration of Sentiments” was read several times with discussions and edits. In the evening, Lucretia Mott spoke of the struggle for women’s rights and asked the men to help with these efforts... Continue reading this article as a PDF (Click here.) Temperance and Suffrage - Connected Movements
The woman’s suffrage movement in the U.S. began in 1848 with the first woman’s rights convention and the writing of the Declaration of Sentiments that outlined the need for expanding women’s rights, including the right to vote. In the years up to 1880 the suffrage movement struggled to gain a foothold in American women’s lives. The arguments it presented for the rights for women simply weren’t persuasive enough to move beyond a central core of supporters. In the 1870’s the woman’s temperance movement began and the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) was founded. In its early years the focus of the WCTU was primarily about persuading people to abstain from alcohol and persuading women to work for change on the local level. By the 1880s when Frances Willard became President of the WCTU, this focus changed, and the organization shifted to a broader agenda of social reforms and a general goal of empowering women for life in the public sphere. This shift included supporting woman’s suffrage. Under Willard’s leadership the link between the woman’s temperance movement and the suffrage movement grew. And, as the WCTU itself became the largest organization of women in the U.S. (with 300,000 members by 1890) this connection became more and more important. By comparison, in this same time period, the suffrage organizations had memberships of about 20,000. The WCTU’s work for suffrage provided the suffrage movement with a grassroots constituency. And, the WCTU brought its local organizing methods - including holding regular meetings, keeping records and studying the local situation, providing lecturers, publishing materials, lobbying local legislators, creating petition campaigns - all of which expanded the movement into communities the suffrage activists had trouble reaching. The connection to the WCTU also provided a new and successful means of arguing for suffrage - through its focus on “home protection” or women as a benevolent influence. Willard first began calling in the 1870s for a “home protection” ballot that would give women voting rights on issues pertaining to the home – school board elections and liquor licenses. Her argument: certainly women should have the ability to act in protection of their home; this was part of their traditional role, not outside it. This argument brought many women to support the suffrage movement. Women were not necessarily persuaded to act in their own interest, or that they deserved the right to vote as a matter of fairness or justice. But they were willing to advocate for suffrage if they felt it would protect their homes and families... Continue reading this article as a PDF (Click here.) |
Leading Up to 1920 - Woman's Sufferage in Illinois
Illinois women gained the right to vote in 1913 and though it was a partial vote it was a powerful one as it included voting for presidential electors among other state and local offices. A broad coalition of organizations and supporters had made the win possible, creating alliances across class, culture and race that were hard won and proved hard to maintain after the victory. The Illinois Equal Suffrage Association and the Chicago Political Equality League (the largest suffrage organizations in the state) were joined by the Illinois Federation of Women’s Clubs, the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union of Illinois, and the Women’s Trade Union League, among others. The new right was not immediately secure as the bill was challenged several times in the courts as being unconstitutional. The liquor interests were the main challengers as they were fearful that Illinois women would vote in statewide prohibition. Even though the Illinois Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of the law in 1913, suffragists in Illinois did not rest easy and continued to fight for the federal amendment that would secure the right. In 1914 the big challenge for the suffragists was getting women to register and getting them to vote. One of the anti-suffrage arguments was that women did not actually want to vote and once they were able to they would not show up at the polls. Illinois suffragists were determined to prove this wrong and worked hard to reach women all over the state and encourage them to use their new right. They were very successful and 20,000 women registered to vote in Chicago alone that year. A big factor in their success was their public information campaign. This included one of the largest suffrage parades the country had ever seen. In May 1914, 15,000 women marched down Michigan Avenue in Chicago to express their support. The Illinois Governor and Chicago Mayor were also present... Continue reading this article as a PDF (Click here.) War of the Roses
...The Red Roses were leading 49 to 47. When they called the roll, one legislator changed his vote.They were deadlocked at 48-48. After a second roll call vote the vote remained deadlocked. There was consideration to table the legislation. It was time for a third roll. Harry Burn, the youngest of the legislators, broke the deadlock. Wearing the Red Rose, he voted in favor of the Amendment. Outrage insued. Opponents chased Burns around the room. He escaped by climbing out a third floor window, moved along the ledge and hid in the attic of the Capital. Why did he change his vote while wearing the Red Rose? In his pocket was a letter from his mother, Phoebe Ensminger Burn, urging him to support the amendment. “Be a good boy and help Mrs. Catt put the ‘rat’ in ratification.” Harry Burn later explained his vote. “I knew that a mother’s advice is always the safest for a boy to follow and my mother wanted me to vote for ratification. I appreciate the fact that an opportunity such seldom comes to a mortal man to free 17 million women from political slavery is mine”... Read the entire article which explains the set-up and the roses as a PDF (Click here.) |