Transcripts For CSPAN3 C-SPAN Cities Tour- Womens Suffrage 20240711

In 1848 a convention was held in seneca falls, new york to state womens rights. The gathering was seen at the beginning of the womens Suffrage Movement, however, it took until 1920, over 72 years later for women to earn the right to vote. During those years, organizations would form creating a national movement, yet it was women in every community who led the effort in their towns and states to demand through the work of cspans cities tour, we will introduce you to some of these women who dedicated their lives to this cause. From a Newspaper Agency to a woman for protesting on the white house lawn. You will learn how western territories were on the leading edge of the movement and you will hear how a letter from a mother to her son would lead to the ratification of the 19th amendment, giving women the right of au pair we begin syracuse, new york, where an author Carol Faulkner talks about one of the movements lesserknown figures. Lucretia mott is the most important female white abolitionists and one of the most important women in american history, yet she has not received the same amount of attention. As someone like elizabeth katies ban she is not a household name. My biography of Lucretia Mott is titled Lucretia Mott heresy. A womans rights in 19th century america. The heresy refers to her own act to the strategy. She always said to other activists, we must agitate, whether they were the abolitionists or suffragists. Reformers to start out in our heresy. Political and legal injustices and not be afraid to be labeled a heretic or an infidel or a nonconformist. Someone willing to go against the tides of society for their beliefs. That is what lucretia but did. Lucretia mott was a 19th century american abolitionist, womens rights activist, and quaker minister. She lived from 1793 to 1880, so she lived a very long lie. Life. She was born on the island of nantucket, but she lived most of her adult life in philadelphia, and that was the city from which she based her activism, which stretched across the United States and the atlantic as well. Lucretia mott definitely defined herself as a feminist and womens rights activist, and she traced her commitment to womens rights to her childhood really on the island of nantucket. It was a communitybased on the whaling industry, so the men in the Community Commitment to womens rights. She got married to her husband james mott in 1811. And in the 1820s, there was kyk] g site quaker named after their leader. The hicksites were one of the issues that they focused on was they believed that the leadership of the society of friends had become complacent on the issue of slavery here they had done away with their ownership of slaves long before, and they viewed that is enough to have removed themselves from direct contact, but elias hicks and had to to sever all ties to slavery and for wealthy merchants in philadelphia, that was asking a lot because they all had economic ties to the south. You know, they all dealt in cotton and even james mott, he struggled for a while to find a profession, to find a career that would support his family, and eventually, he succeeds, but as a cotton merchant. So Lucretia Mott puts a lot of pressure on him actually to give up that business and eventually, he became a wool merchant by 1830. I think that was a radicalizing that she would speak on womens issues and anti slavery issues when she became a minister. That was an informative period for her. But i think in the early 1830s in philadelphia, philadelphia had the largest population of free blacks in the north. Lucretia mott would have interacted them in free produce societies, and probably try to speak in africanamerican churches and otherwise connected with them. There were a lot of race riots in philadelphia in the early 1830s. So the intensity of northern racism was very visible to her, and so, when she attended the founding meeting of the American Antislavery Society in 1833, and then, thereafter founded the philadelphia female antislavery society, she believed their goal should not only be fighting slavery but also racial prejudice. It was a twopronged approach. One of the things she dids frequently, whenever she met a slaveholder, as she did when she was traveling abroad or around the United States, she would often speak in delaware, virginia and slaveholding states, kentucky, she would engage he race she would try to convince that slaveholder that slavery was wrong. You know . Whether they were being polite or you know, just tolerating this lady, poking them in the ribs, she seemed to have had some individual, personal success. She said this one slaveholder i met to sent him some pamphlets when i got home and i will send him some pamphlets. I think, again, she was not afraid of confrontation and engagement, and she was going to try to persuade people that slavery was wrong no matter where she was and who they were. Lucretia mott was not particularly interested in politics or the political process, but she did speak on multiple occasions in washington, d. C. , and at one point, she was supposed to speak in congress, but because she would not agree not to talk about slavery, they would not let her speak. So, she spoke at a Unitarian Church and all sorts of politicians, including southern congressman attended. Of course, she spoke about slavery because that is what she was compelled to speak about, but during that trip to washington, d. C. In 1843, she also met president tyler and his line about Lucretia Mott was, you know, i think i will turn mr. Calhoun over to you he you can negotiate with John C Calhoun for me. The crucial motts first mate Lucretia Motts first met Elizabeth Stanley in when they met, they met in sort of an unlikely place which was at the worlds antislavery conference in 1840. Two americans meeting in london. They had other elections, but Lucretia Mott was there is a delegate in london. Lucretia mott was there as a delegate for the American Antislavery Society. Elizabeth cady stanton was there on her honeymoon. She had just married an abolitionist named henry stanton. For her it was more of a European Tour than a political journey for her. But the two women instantly connected. Elizabeth cady stanton later described lucretia as a revelation of womanhood. She said i did not know it was possible for women to be so outspoken and independent. She really became an admirer of Lucretia Mott. She referred to her as the moving spirit of the Seneca Falls Convention of 1848. It was a label Lucretia Mott rejected. She said elizabeth, you should claim that for yourself. But the fact was, it was the fact that Lucretia Mott was in the area that the convention was held and her presence was advertised to draw attendees. She would come up to this part of the country regularly to central new york. When she came up in 1848, she was engaged in a number of activities. She attended an annual quaker meeting. The genesee early meeting. She traveled to ontario, canada, to visit former slaves, american slaves who had fled to canada. She went to the seneca reservation and witnessed them writing their constitution. She is engaged in all of these very interesting activities in the summer of 1848, native american rights, africanamerican rights, and womens rights. Before the Seneca Falls Convention in july, 1848, she meets up with her old friend, Elizabeth Cady stanton and others in the area. They decide to hold this convention devoted to women, and the civil condition, and they announced that Lucretia Mott will be the speaker. Once a newspaper called her a grizzled speaker of the movement. That she had somehow shed her femininity by engaging in activism. But the womens rights movement, the Antislavery Movement held her up as a paragon of womanhood. They said Lucretia Mott is an example that you can do both, be an excellent wife, mother, grandmother, and have a public life, be an activist. For her, the activism and the family life blended seamlessly because her husband was also an abolitionist and active in lot of a lot of the same organizations she was. And her children also became involved in the philadelphia antislavery society. And other organizations for womens rights and womens suffrage in philadelphia. In many ways, her activism was a family affair. At her funeral, someone said silence is appropriate for a quaker funeral, but someone said, who can speak . The preacher is dead. That is how much of a void had been left by Lucretia Motts death because she always had something to say. I think that made her in some ways to good. She has become almost what Elizabeth Cady stanton made her, almost a saint. And in actuality, she was a deeply radical person for her time and was not afraid to speak her beliefs. In 1860 nine in new york city, Elizabeth Cady stanton and Susan B Anthony founded the National Womens Suffrage Movement for a constitutional amendment guaranteeing the right to vote. However, much of the womens movements progress came in the west. In oregon, dunaway, who established a prosuffrage it newspaper, became active in the movement. Benjamin dunaway was a good husband and father to the children. He did not have may be the level of business skills that somebody should have in managing a farm. Because of his kindness and generosity, he cosigned a loan for a friend, and the friend defaulted on that loan, and as a result, the duniways loss to their farm. That was in the mid1860s. Benjamin had a farming accident and became disabled. It therefore fell to abigail to become the breadwinner for the family. She eventually decided to move to albany, oregon, a little town further south in the Willamette Valley and she set up a milliner shop, a hat shop. Apparently, she was quite successful in that business. She traveled to San Francisco to get supplies for her business. When women traveled to her hat shop, she became aware of difficulties in their lives. They had no standing in the community. They could not own property. They were dependent on their husbands and their husbands goodwill to lead a good life, and she saw a lot of women suffering because of that. She thought well, if women could vote, they could enact change themselves and change lives to benefit all women and all people. So, she turned her attention to the Suffrage Movement. She moved her family back to portland in the 1870s. Her first effort was to start her own newspaper. This was the vehicle she used to communicate about her suffrage effort. And the whole family, many members of her family were involved in producing this newspaper. One of her sons was a printer. It was a family enterprise. She communicated through the new north west. She also communicated with National Suffrage leaders. In 1871, she coordinated Susan B Anthony out to the west and traveled with her on a speaking tour in california. In very short order, she all of a sudden had significant standing and presence in the Suffrage Movement. Harvey scott was her brother. He traveled with the family on the oregon trail. Apparently, he had been abusive to his siblings, and there are accounts of him beating up the sisters. He kind of continued that tradition. When the family came to oregon, he became an editor at the portland oregonian, the largest newspaper one of the largest in the pacific northwest. And he was an antisuffragist. So, he wrote editorials against suffrage. So, in a way, he continued to beat up on abigail. Even as they were adults. In the 1900 campaign, i believe suffrage wouldve passed had it not been for harvey scotts editorials in the portland oregonian. If you count the number of votes cast, it was really what blocked the passage of suffrage that year. Abigail is writing to her son clyde this is the 1900 campaign and they are waiting for the returns to come in, and she says my dear clyde, last night after anxious waiting for returns, during which the oregonian and your mad uncle have suggested subjected the women of oregon to every insult she says, i was quite sick until i got the returns. Despite the abuse of the oregonian, now i will go after the coward. She was speaking about her brother. Change came about in a way that measures would be presented to the citizenry for voting. Initially, when she started her campaign work, she quietly got in good with the men who had been elected to the oregon legislature. She would curry their favor and she did it quietly because she did not want to stir the opposition. That resulted in the measure womens suffrage to be presented on the ballot. At the time, it was defeated. In oregon, suffrage was presented six times, more than any other state. Eventually, the Progressive Movement wanted to change that process. William advocated for a referendum system that all the states now use. Its called the oregon system. That way, people could gain support for measures by getting enough signatures, and then it would be presented to the voters. By the time suffrage was passed in oregon, duniways technique was not effective because it was not necessary. Eventually, there were many other women who came forward to carry on the campaign, one woman in particular spearheaded the effort. It was largely through their effort and some more modern tech Meeks Campaign techniques like mass mailing, storefront campaign shops, marching in parades, more radical techniques like that really pushed it over and managed to pass suffrage in 1912 in oregon. When suffrage was passed in 1912, duniway you know, she was often bedridden during the 1912 campaign when suffrage passed. She wasnt effective, but she had been working for suffrage for 42 years by that time. She had devoted her life to this cause. And people feted her. She was celebrated when suffrage finally passed. A lot of people sent congratulatory telegrams to her. Here are some examples. Congratulations on the triumph of justice. This one from medford. The medford equal Justice Association offers you congratulations. Youre many days of effort for the cause of women may be crowned with success. This was sent before the vote. This was in october and the vote was in november. We sincerely congratulate the women of oregon, from the cleveland womens suffrage party. Loving congratulations to our dearest trailblazer who has made its dawning possible. The congratulations poured in. Its just so wonderful that she lived long enough to see suffrage passed in oregon, and she voted. She was able to vote, which was pretty special. We have in the collection a scrapbook that she kept during her years as a suffrage leader. It has sums some photographs in it. Some lectures. Also some correspondence and newspaper clippings that she kept. This is a great resource for any researcher who wants to study the topic of the history of suffrage in oregon or about her life. In her pursuit for suffrage in oregon, Abigail Scott dun iway would travel throughout the northwest. One of her stops was in the home of daniel and Elizabeth Bigelow in washington. The woodwork to bring suffrage to washington, 2 years before oregon. We are at the bigelow house on the east side of olympia, one of the citys oldest homes. It was built by daniel and Elizabeth White bigelow. Both came over the oregon trail in the early 1850s. Daniel set up his law practice and was evidently a great orator as well. He was called upon to give the 4th of july meeting in 1882, that is widely credited with spurring the development of a separate territory of washington from oregon. It would become a separate territory in 1853, and Daniel Bigelow was elected to the first legislative session here in olympia. We know that daniel and elizabeth were both active in the campaign for Voting Rights for women. She and Abigail Scott duniway, the oregon suffragist, were on a swing through the pacific northwest. And they did stop abigail did stop at the bigelow house. We know that from her diary where she called misses bigelow splendid. She made a landmark speech about womens suffrage. He said i understand the principles of self government. Man has no more right to say a woman shall or shall not vote than a woman has to say of man. I know of no valid argument to deny franchise to women anymore than man. In our governments, the more universal franchise is the greater the franchise, the greater the security to individual rights. Susan b anthony addressed the Territorial Legislature. She and the bigelows, along with the other suffragists, worked together to form the womens Suffrage Association, and they held their convention here in olympia in november of 1871. This really set a wonderful framework for advocacy for women who gained the right to vote. And the territory enacted womens right to vote in washington. It was only women in wyoming and utah who had the right to vote after the civil war until women in washington. It was quite challenging, as you might imagine. There were concerns that women would vote for prohibition. If they had the right to vote, they could also serve on juries. And there was a series of cases that came before the supreme court, first upholding the right to vote, and then the right was invalidated on a technicality. Finally in 1910, women in washington permanently received the right to vote. This year marks the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th amendment, giving women the right to vote. Wyoming was the 27th state to pass that amendment. However, decades earlier, there were suffrage laws in the u. S. We explain why this territory was a prime spot for this historic legislation. We are in the womens hallway of the Laramie Museum in wyoming. This tells the story of why wyoming was so unique, granting women the right to vote, hold property, and elected office. December 10 of 1869, the wyoming legislature dictated this and it was signed by governor campbell, granting women these rights. It is remarkable that we have a copy of this. They have it at the capitol, but we have a copy. Its so extraordinary. The writing said what was happening in the west. Because of this act in 1860 nine, giving women full rights, we had the first woman governor, first woman bailiff, first woman on a jury. We had all of wyomings women were able to be in the legislature. We had esther morris, the first woman justice of the peace. We had nelly taylor ross, the first woman governor in the world. All of these were fallout from the beautiful suffrage act of december 10, 1869. Here we have a great thing for thyra golson a great thing. Her friends were so worried. She writes and says yes, some of my friends are eastern girls who say that any woman who votes must be dreadful, while a woman who holds office is beyond hope. I told them about a friend of mine was recently elected to county office and i assured them she was as nice, modest, and womanly as anyone. They had to take my word for it but assured me they could not possibly stay so. You would undoubtedly become bold and mannish in a short time. We are going to go out through the foyer and into the salon which has been set up as a defense of suffrage. Can with me. We are going to go into the drawing room of the victorian age. We are here showcasing a defense of the suffragette. Here are the ivansons. This home is the largest artifact we have and this is from when they first came to laramie. They arrived on that first train in 1868 with nothing here. They built this house 24 years later. In here, we tell laramie history like this suffrage act. December 10, 1869, the wyoming Territorial Legislature passes this law. This disgruntled a lot of people. Why is that happening in the west . Why is it happening in wyoming . At the time, it was separating the wyoming territory from the dakota territory. And the legislature did it, we believe, because they needed to attract women to the west. This was a place of cowboys and railroad workers. We had the Union Pacific coming in from california. And the legislature wanted to attract women to come and be part of this adventure. So they gave them full rights. Full Voting Rights. Full Holding Property rights. Full Political Office rights. There was no other state that could claim that, no other territory. North dakota and utah like to claim the first woman voter, and they may have, but they voted in restrictive elections. Wyoming women never had to do that. They voted on the same terms as men. That is quite extraordinary so, in here, we have Elizabeth Cady stanton coming to the salon to listen to the defense of suffrage. It passed in 1869. In 1871, wyoming was getting so much grief, that the legislature was saying maybe we should rescind this act. This is an exhibit of stephen downy speaking about this, possibly in this salon, speaking about a defense of the act, because in 1871, people were giving the wyoming territory such grief about having an act where women had the same rights as men. So he gave a remarkable speech and spoke to the wyoming public about how important it was that we keep it, retain it, and it was retained in 1871 by one vote in the legislature. Fastforward. Wyoming wants to become a state. Washington, d. C. , says nowhere else in the world or the United States is giving women these rights. You need to rescind the act to become a state. Wyoming said we dont care then. We wont become a state. So, when you talk about the first woman voter in 1869, first woman on a jury in 1870, first woman bailiff, first woman justice of the peace, all of this could happen because wyoming had given women that right. Its a fact that nobody ever knows that. And how great is it that we can tell this story . This is 158 anniversary of this gift given to women and men by the men of the way marine territory. The National American womens Suffrage Association would continue to focus on gaining womens suffrage at the state level. The womens party wanted a constitutional amendment. Their strategy included a twoyear protest in front of the white house. One of the protesters was Hazel Huggins from billings, montana. A tiny, grayhaired woman with a feminist vocabulary, a notorious arrest record, and a surprisingly sharp tongue. Hazel grew up in colorado and came to billings in 1903, and becomes one of the better students of billings senior high. She was one of the most popular, second smartest, third most succeeded. She makes her way to college, gets a chemistry degree, and works in chemistry labs until 1916. She comes back home to care for her ailing mother, and when her mother starts feeling better, she starts applying for more jobs for chemistry labs. She is told several times, you are qualified, but we dont really want a Woman Working in our labs, and she decides, that is what i am going to do. I am going to get involved with the womens fight. So one of the first things she and her comrades did was protest in front of the white house for several years. Carrying signs, demanding equal rights and suffrage for women. At one point, they had 2000 antisuffragist protesters against less than two dozen women protesting for their rights, and the antisuffragist protesters tore their signs away. The next day, they would come back again with more signs saying we want the right to vote, and they would be arrested. So these 2000 or 3000 women kept this vigilant activity up in front of the white house. They hoped president wilson would create National Suffrage. Once we started looking at the National Press and San Francisco examiner, hazel was reported to light watch fires under president wilsons window. The Washington Post wrote that she climbed a picket and had her sign torn away from her and was then arrested. The same story covered in the Billings Gazette and it said billings woman, innocent victim. So the coverage she was getting in billings was completely different than what the National Press was doing. And they said oh, isnt this sweet . Here is a cute little girl from montana, 23, smart. But once world war i kicked in in april of 1917, these protesters were looked at completely differently. And what she said to defend herself was we see all these soldiers being sent overseas to fight for democracy. Were just in our own country. The women with the National Womens party are fighting for democracy on our own soil. Finally when the passage of the 19th amendment went through in 1920, Hazel Hunkins transforms herselves and becomes a different type of feminist. She marries a chicago reporter and they moved to england. They moved to england and she lives in london for the next 50 years and becomes the leader of the six point group, a feminist organization out of england. Shes the only american born leader in that group in 50 years. In 1977, she comes back to the u. S. To fight for the equal rights amendment. She ends up marching in the protests, she is called a hell raiser at age 87. She ends up at a rose garden ceremony with president carter to sign for National Womens day. He supports their activities and causes. So this is a lifelong process for her. Its fun, when i tell this story, i could stop at the equal rights amendment and say this is a life worth looking at. But then you add 50 years of feminist leadership in england and i can stop then and say this is a white a life worth looking at. But then i can take people into the 1970s and talk about her work with the equal rights amendment and that fight there. She was not afraid to speak her mind. In the end, she chose to be buried with her husband at Mountain View cemetery here in billings. In the early years of the Suffrage Movement, and eightyearold emma smith devote would attend a speech given by Susan B Anthony encouraging her to carry the fight into the 20th century. She would play an Important Role in suffrage legislation in several states, including washington in 1910. Washingtons important in the National Suffrage effort comes by the fact that we were the first state in the 20th century and followed almost a 20 year lag between states adopting their own suffrage amendment and it takes a certain number of states to pass a National Amendment to the constitution. We were the fifth state in all of the first about six were located here in the west. Washington became a pivotal state making that leap into the 20th century and after we passed it in 1910, there was a domino effect across the country. Immediately, oregon passes it in 1911 followed by california, and then moved to the dakotas, nebraska, montana and progressed across to new york in 1919 and that National Amendment passes in 1920. So you could call us a big turning point in the effort to gain suffrage for women in the United States. In 1848, the big event that began the Suffrage Movement did happen in new york. That was the Womens Convention in seneca falls led by Susan B Anthony among other leaders. Interestingly enough, right after that, she began, Susan B Anthony began a whirlwind trip to territorial areas of the United States and states to advocate for womens rights and to vote. One of the early leaders in the 20thcentury and Washington State saw her in 1848 as an eightyearold barnstorming through illinois. That is emma smith devote to ends up becoming a leader of the Washington State Suffrage Movement and lived and worked here in tacoma near our history museum. She saw Susan B Anthony in Central Illinois when she was eight years old and Susan B Anthony asked who in the audience believes women should have the right to vote. As an eightyearold, she stood up and that was a memorable experience that definitely has a connection to our state from 1848 right through to 1910. Write about the same time as the Womens Convention in seneca falls, women and men, families were traveling west. These were hearty people and at that time, about 1850, Congress Passed the oregon donation land claim loss. Anybody who came to the oregon territory before 1849 got out right 640 acres of land. After 1850, they cut it in half to 320 acres. But the interesting thing is that amount of land, half of it was in the womens name. 320 acres were given to a couple. If you were a single man, you got half that. If you are a single woman, you got half of that. Half the acreage was always in the womans name. Right away, women have land claim ownership. That was an important part of the oregon trail era. By 1853, washington becomes a separate territory from oregon and in the first territorial legislation meeting in olympia which becomes our capital city eventually, the early delegates wanted to pass womens suffrage that was part of the platform for the first legislative session in that Territorial Congress for washington and it got voted down. But it was brought up right away and there were early men in the legislature who advocated for womens suffrage. Fast forward to the 1880s and washington is working very hard at the effort to become a state, which is achieved in 1889. In the 1880s, women in the territories when the right to vote in 1883. Immediately, they start to vote for a more Progressive Agenda in the Territorial Legislature and they unseat some of the more corrupt leaders in communities like the seattle mayor who is known to have influence with the saloons, prostitution and gambling. They vote him out of office. You can imagine suffrage is not proving that popular with a lot of people. While the legislature in those days before we were estate could vote yea ornate and past suffrage, it did not take an amendment to the constitution. Women argue the first territorial constitution said he or male in a lot of places, but it should have said women and men. They passed it, but who got it rescinded in 1880 eight . The Territorial Supreme Court who was opposed to women voting and one particular justice really, really opposed it and opposition came because men did not want women serving on juries. That is where the division came up in the Territorial Supreme Court short version is they voted they passed a decision that removes the womens right to vote. So by 1906, emma smith, that little girl who stood up for Susan B Anthony in 1848 has relocated here with her husband. She has, in the interim years, been a paid staffer working on behalf of suffrage and temperance throughout the midwest. By paid, she was paid, i think, a hundred dollars a month by the National American womens Suffrage Association. So she comes out here to become the leader of the Washington State Suffrage Movement. Her husband works for the Great Northern railroad, so she has a salary and he gets her railroad passes so she can travel all over on a Free Railroad ticket, which was a great advantage. They moved to tacoma and she along with others establishes the washington equal Suffrage Association which she is president of. I thought it was interesting that her message becomes the most powerful, to counteract this view that washington women dont want suffrage. They work hard organizing through 1905, 1906, 1907, 1908 and we know we want to get this suffrage bill passed so we have to get an amendment out there to the voters and it has to be passed by two thirds of a majority of voters, male voters in the state of washington to pass. So, we have a combination of important women coming together. Emma smith davoe, our tacoma based leader of the group joins up with this very colorful woman named May Arkwright hutton. She was a camp cook in the silver mines in northern idaho. In the court elaine district. She married a railroad engineer by the name of hutton and they buy an interest in the Hercules Mine. The Hercules Mine becomes the most profitable silver mine of that era. They become millionaires almost overnight. She is a very colorful figure, so you have emma, who is kind of coming out of the temperance, abolitionist, Suffrage Movement and you have may who comes out of this from a colorful past and together, they descend on olympia and the legislature. That is all men, of course. They Work Together in different ways to get the legislature to approve an amendment for the ballot. In january of 1909, the house boats for the amendment and it passes i think by 10 to 20 votes. In february, the senate votes, the Washington State Senate Passes by a bigger majority and in 1909, the governor signs a bill to create the opportunity for washingtonians to vote for suffrage for women in Washington State. That vote is going to come up before Washington Men in november of 1910. The suffrage amendment passes on november 8, 1910 and washington becomes the fifth state in the union to past suffrage. The people coming west were people who were probably risktakers, were working to break out of some conventional life they might have experienced in the east and a lot of suffragettes came out here and worked from the east and worked hard because they saw the opportunity. The seneca fall conventions in 1848, 71 years would pass before Congress Proposed a 19th ammendment to the u. S. Constitution prohibiting the denial of Voting Rights based on gender. The amendment would require ratification by 36 states. I august, 19 20, 35 states had ratified the amendment with the Tennessee Legislature set to vote on the matter. On the eve of the vote, one young legislator received a persuasive letter from his mother. A letter that was written by phoebe burns to her son, harry t burns, a brandnew legislator in 1920. He was 24 years old and had just been elected to the legislature. The push to ratify the suffrage amendment was coming to a close. Suffrage leaders had eight states to choose from and they thought tennessee was the best bet at a had a lot of supporters and a lot of people who were extremely hostile. It is not dated but it has a postmark of august 17, 1920. The vote was august 20, just a short time later. The state senate had approved the ratification, it was like 25 to four. The governor was for ratification in the house, it was a seesaw, about 49 to 49 votes. A couple of people changing positions could really tip the balance. Harry was 24, he was studying law, he was just getting his start in life. His mother was a widow. He had a mother, brother, and sister back in nine out of, tennessee. He was a newbie in the state legislature and had to deal with this complicated question. He was reading law with a man who was coming out as extremely antisuffrage and he was unwilling to take a stand. They thought he was maybe going to vote no. He got this six page letter from his mother in 1920 and it was a letter handwritten on a tablet with six pages handwritten in pencil. In the course of the letter, it wasnt just about politics, it wasnt just to ask him to vote for suffrage, but in the course of the letter, she twice asked him to vote for suffrage. I like this passage where she says, hooray and vote for suffrage, and dont leave them in doubt, i noticed chandlers speech. It was very bitter. Ive been watching to see how you stood but have not seen anything yet. He was also in the legislature, so he was kind of in a pickle of a situation. When he came into the vote, there was a lot of parliamentary maneuvering the day the final vote took place. He voted in a way that looked like he was going to be a no vote until the final vote was taken and it was going to be a close loss or tie. , they really didnt know until he voted yes. And when he voted yes, and they got really hopeful and there was one of the vote at the end of the alphabet that they had to get when that man voted yes, there was pandemonium in the legislature. Towards the end of the letter and she said dont forget to be a good boy and help mrs. Thomas scale with her rats. A letter that was written by phoebe burns to her son, harry t burns, a brandnew legislator in 1920. He was 24 years old and had just been elected to the legislature. The push to ratify the suffrage amendment was coming to a close. Suffrage leaders had eight states to choose from and they thought tennessee was the best bet at a had a lot of supporters and a lot of people who were extremely hostile. It is not dated but it has a postmark of august 17, 1920. The vote was august 20, just a short time later. The state senate had approved the ratification, it was like 25 to four. The governor was for ratification in the house, it was a seesaw, about 49 to 49 votes. A couple of people changing positions could really tip the balance. Harry was 24, he was studying law, he was just getting his start in life. His mother was a widow. He had a mother, brother, and sister back in nine out of, tennessee. He was a newbie in the state legislature and had to deal with this complicated question. He was reading law with a man who was coming out as extremely antisuffrage and he was unwilling to take a stand. They thought he was maybe going to vote no. He got this six page letter from his mother in 1920 and it was a letter handwritten on a tablet with six pages handwritten in pencil. In the course of the letter, it wasnt just about politics, it wasnt just to ask him to vote for suffrage, but in the course of the letter, she twice asked him to vote for suffrage. I like this passage where she says hooray and vote for suffrage and dont leave them in doubt stop i noticed anything yet. , Harry Bernstein harry tbone junior wanted to put here so that people can have access to it and know that it existed. A lot of people said it was never even really real so the 75th anniversary. Of suffrage came around and people focused on tennessee were gonna bring it out that really did exist at all that other material it was right in the center of ratification. The u. S. Capital has been home to house and senate since 1800, but is their own districts in states that said when members to washington, d. C. Over the next 90 minutes, a look at pivotal