Many Americans know the famous historical Civil War anthem, the "Battle Hymn of the Republic." But did you know it was written by a female writer and suffragette? It was Julia Ward Howe, a famous author and
Author Wendy Rouse unearthed the experience of local queer suffragettes in her book, "Public Spaces, Secret Lives: A Queer History of the Suffrage Movement." In this interview with WBUR's Morning Edition host Rupa Shenoy, learn about the local examples of queer people in the struggle for women's voting rights.
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It took more than 150 years for American and British suffragists to gain women’s right to vote decades filled with struggle, sacrifice, and fervent attempts to sway public opinion. And those efforts at persuasion didn’t always involve speeches or personal appeals.
Suffragists used visual symbolism to help the public envision a world in which women could participate in the political process. Some emblems were savvy ways to help suffragists stick out in a crowd. Others signified the value that women would bring to public life if given the right to vote although sometimes they obscured the contributions women of color made to the suffrage movement.