Women's Suffrage

Gender: Identity and Social Change includes extensive material documenting the international women’s suffrage movement across the globe. [Ellen A. Webster clippings] © Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in AmericaDocuments feature information on campaigns, activities, organisations, and key pioneers for gender equality, providing an insight into the development of the women’s suffrage movement internationally. (see [Documents relating to equal suffrage in the United Kingdom], [Woman suffrage in New Zealand], [Woman suffrage in Finland], [Documents relating to equal suffrage in Connecticut], and [Documents relating to equal suffrage in Illinois].

Collaborative campaigns to advance women’s status and rights are evident throughout this resource. Actions of state conventions on federal suffrage amendment, The Women Are Tired of Waiting and Documents relating to the passage of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) record united efforts made by groups lobbying for equality. Newspaper clippings also report upon widely attended suffrage marches, pageants and processions (see, General: clippings re: Foley and suffrage, 1912-1915, anti-suffrage, women elected officials, News cutting: Women's Suffrage). Items such as Feminism, 1940-1977, folder 2 and [Catalogues of suffrage literature, with ephemera] consist of miscellaneous material recording the collaboration of groups such as The National Woman's Party, The Suffragette Fellowship, The Married Women's Association and the Status of Women Committee.

The campaigns and activism of particular suffrage groups can also be explored individually; the First Woman Suffrage Convention of the City of New York records the united venture of the New York Woman Suffrage Council, Equal Franchise Society and League of Self-Supporting Women in 1909. Likewise, the work of the International Woman Suffrage Alliance can be traced throughout [Handbills and pamphlets about women voters around the world] and International Woman Suffrage Alliance: 10th Congress, Paris, newspaper clippings, whereas the Handbill entitled “Twelve Reasons Why Women Should Vote” records the suffrage agendas of the Equal Suffrage League of Virginia. The Campaign Text-Book of the National Woman's Party and Program of delegates belonging to the National American Woman Suffrage Association shed light specifically on campaigns of these respective groups. Similarly, minutes, periodicals and posters published by the Manchester Men’s League for Women Suffrage highlight their own rigorous campaigning for changes to divorce legislation and advocacy of both equal rights and temperance (see, The Common Cause, Draft poster, Manchester Men's League for Women's Suffrage - Minute Book, and Men's League for Women's Suffrage Monthly Paper, No. 54).

Another prominent suffrage organisation featured in the resource is the International Woman Suffrage Alliance (I.W.S.A). Correspondence File: N.U.W.S.S. now N.U.S.E.C and File: I.W.S.A. Headquarters Committee Minutes - Extra Copies consist of the group’s communications on topics ranging from operational matters, subscriptions to their monthly periodical, Jus Suffaggi, and decisions made by the Board of Officers. Other suffrage groups of note, whose business records and correspondence feature in the resource include, the Central National Society for Women's Suffrage (see, Why Women Want the Suffrage), League of Women Voters (see, [Pamphlets relating to the League of Women Voters]), the National American Woman Suffrage Association and the Women's Suffrage Demonstration Committee (see, The Enfranchisement of Women).

She's as Smart as the Next One, © Bryn Mawr College The efforts of these groups, amongst many others, were often the focus of criticism, as we can see in reports of “Unfair Criticism” and “Attacks Hughes for Favouring Suffrage Amendment” in papers of National Woman's Party 1916-1981. The [Anti-suffrage writings] and [Anti-suffrage pamphlets, leaflets and handbills] collated within the Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America’s Women's Suffrage Vertical Files offer such insights. Similar items to consult on this subject include: Handbill entitled “Women Voters Against Wilson", [Collection of leaflets concerning W. E. Gladstone's opposition to the Women's Suffrage Bill,] and a Report of Committee on Anti-Suffrage.

There are a plethora of documents recording speeches, lobbying and domestic affairs of prominent suffragists and suffragettes themselves. Carrie Chapman Catt (see, the Carrie Chapman Catt papers), Martha Carey Thomas (see, M. Carey Thomas papers),  Susan B Anthony (see, Scrapbook of newspaper clippings, “Retirement Susan B. Anthony; National Association Woman's Suffrage, Assn; Election”), Henrietta Muir Edwards (Legal Status of Women in Canada, by Henrietta Muir Edwards), Harriet Burton (see, [Diary entries of suffragist, Harriet Burton]), Louise C McKinney (see, Louise C McKinney's writings), Emmeline and Christabel Pankhurst (see, Advertisement for Lecture Tour of Mrs. Pankhurst; Correspondence to Martha Carey Thomas), Susan Walker Fitzgerald (see, Susan Walker Fitzgerald's letters relating to her work with the Massachusetts Woman Suffrage Association), Inez Milholland Boissevain (see, Miss Inez Milholland, Herald) and Alva Belmont (see records of Alva Belmont's suffrage activities) are all highlighted within the resource.

Biographical works, memorials, and posthumous awards in this collection mark the contributions many of these women made to the fight for women’s suffrage (see, National Woman's Party: Susan B. Anthony Memorial Committee material, The Life and Times of a 'Valiant Person'-Henrietta Muir Edwards, 1849-1931, Memorials to Louise McKinney, and Programmes, leaflets and other material relating to Famous Five celebrations and ceremonies held to commemorate their legacy), whilst photographs, ephemera, ribbons, and pins in the Women’s Suffrage Ephemera collection offer researchers a visual glimpse of their legacy.

W.S.P.U. Postcards, © Bryn Mawr College