In which Doris does a bit of research into the American suffragist movement.
When Sid and Doris were discovering Democracy In Action in Albany (NY) they were staying at the house of Alice Morgan Wright (1881-1975) “Co-founder of New York State League of Women Voters, Recording Secretary for New York State Suffrage Party, Aided in the French and British Suffragist Movement…” She lived in this house all her life, with her “lifelong companion” Edith Goode, and according to the information board in the hall, helped organise speaking engagements in Paris and New York for Edith Pankhurst. She was incarcerated in Holloway Prison for two months but not force-fed.
One of Doris’ hobbies is barbershop singing, and her chorus, London City Singers, are learning a new song ‘ Keep Marchin’. It’s the final song of the musical Suffs, which tells the story of the American suffragist movement from 1913-1920 so she has suddenly got a mild interest in the topic (possibly equating to an insane intensive interest for normal people).
LCS have broadly been assuming that the American suffrage movement paralleled the English one [which was essentially: originally women of wealth could qualify for the vote if they were widowed; in 1832 a law was passed making the vote men-only; in 1918 they won votes for wealthier women over 30 against all men over 21; in 1928 this was equalised at 21 for everyone. The campaign started formally in 1867 and bills were presented at least 20 times to Parliament from 1868 to 1912.] but it is a bit different, partly because the rights of non-White/born American citizens were being debated at the same time.
In both cases however, your mental image of bicycle-riding women in white frilly Edwardian costumes can be indulged, as long as you also allow for older, bulkier and darker Victorian costumes and neater later 1920s costumes.
So, here in the Yew Ess of Ay, there had been a series of “Reconstruction Amendments” which were sorting out the problems caused by the system of slavery. The Fifteenth Amendment passed in 1870 says “The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.” but however does not include “or sex”.
This made the suffragettes quite reasonably angry, although the words that they used don’t read so well nowadays: “American women of wealth, education, virtue and refinement, if you do not wish the lower orders of Chinese, Africans, Germans and Irish, with their low ideas of womanhood to make laws for you and your daughters … demand that women too shall be represented in government.”
We shall not go into any more detail, for fear of getting key facts or nuances wrong, and Mr Wiki (Ms Wiki?) can helpfully guide you further, but in the best traditions of all political activism, the movement immediately split into two deeply divided factions, the People’s Front of Judea, and the Judean People’s Front. Oh sorry no I mean the National Woman Suffrage Association and the American Woman Suffrage Association. “The rivalry between the two women’s groups was so bitter, however, that a merger proved to be impossible until 1890” says Mx W.
Once you do start to spot suffrage memorials, they are everywhere. We are reminded of the comment from Stuart Turner, that there are twice as many rally-heritage Minis now available, as ever competed in the events themselves. Everyone wants a part of the action.
…oops that last one was on a coastal path in Newport. Anyway, the statue in the picture before that was in Central Park, installed in 2017 as a part of the Monumental Women campaign “the first in Central Park to feature real women”.
The National Votes For Women Trail sign which was also spotted in Newport is a major disappointment to Bothy McWeevil (cf Great Loop post) in not recommending a tour route complete with hotel/purchasing links. Are these Americans not entrepreneurs? Do they not create and seize opportunities?