DOCSLIB.ORG

Durham E-Theses

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Durham E-Theses Durham E-Theses Irish Women and Political Petitioning, c. 1870-1918 STEWART, CIARA,ELIZABETH How to cite: STEWART, CIARA,ELIZABETH (2021) Irish Women and Political Petitioning, c. 1870-1918, Durham theses, Durham University. Available at Durham E-Theses Online: http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/13941/ Use policy The full-text may be used and/or reproduced, and given to third parties in any format or medium, without prior permission or charge, for personal research or study, educational, or not-for-prot purposes provided that: • a full bibliographic reference is made to the original source • a link is made to the metadata record in Durham E-Theses • the full-text is not changed in any way The full-text must not be sold in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders. Please consult the full Durham E-Theses policy for further details. Academic Support Oce, Durham University, University Oce, Old Elvet, Durham DH1 3HP e-mail: [email protected] Tel: +44 0191 334 6107 http://etheses.dur.ac.uk Ciara Elizabeth Stewart Irish women and Political Petitioning, c. 1870-1918 Abstract Petitioning was one of the few forms of political agitations available to the disenfranchised of the nineteenth century. This thesis studies petitioning patterns in order to re-examine the political experience of Irish women in the period 1870- 1918. It addresses the development of a gendered political culture in Ireland and how petitioning allowed women to partially break the boundaries of a male dominated political sphere. Petitioning, alongside other campaign methods, allowed Irish women to become involved in the Irish public and political sphere, despite going against traditional gender and social conventions. This approach allows for an examination of the social and denominational characteristics of Irish women’s organisations in this period and this thesis will show that those adopting petitions were run predominantly by middle-class Protestant women. This thesis draws on examples from a variety of women’s movements, through case studies of the Irish Ladies’ National Association for the Repeal of the Contagious Diseases Acts, (LNA), the Dublin Women’s Suffrage Association, (DWSA), their successor the Irish Women’s Suffrage and Local Government Association, (IWSLGA), the Dublin Women’s Temperance Association, (DWTA), the Irish Women’s Franchise League, (IWFL) and the Ulster Women’s Unionist Council, (UWUC). This thesis places Irish women within previously Anglo-centric studies of nineteenth-century suffrage activism by demonstrating the connections that existed between Irish and British women. This thesis shows that there was often co-operation between British and Irish women, but there were cases when these relationships were complicated or fractious. Therefore, each chapter provides a comparative perspective with British women’s organisations, as it is vital to acknowledge the ties and differences that existed between Irish and British 1 activists in order to understand how they could be affected by issues such as Home Rule. In order to understand the practice of petitioning, this thesis also explores themes of networking, mobilisation, separate spheres, conflicts of morality and popular sovereignty. Overall, this thesis aims to examine how Irish women approached politics in this period through a variety of organisations, each with different aims, but which still multiplied and deepened the politicisation of Irish women. 2 Irish Women and Political Petitioning, c. 1870-1918 Ciara Elizabeth Stewart Thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Department of History, Durham University September, 2020. 3 Table of contents Figures 5 Abbreviations 6 Acknowledgements 8 Introduction 9 Chapter one- Campaigning and Petitioning against the Contagious Diseases 39 Acts in Ireland: A New Perspective. Chapter two - The Dublin Women’s Suffrage Association and the Irish 67 Women’s Suffrage and Local Government Association: Organisation, Petitioning, the Campaign for Municipal Franchise and the Establishment of Women Poor Law Guardians in Ireland. Chapter three – Constitutionalism, Militancy and the Women’s Question: 150 Re-examining the British and Irish Suffrage Movements Through their Use of Petitioning, c. 1909-1914. Chapter four - The Dublin Women’s Temperance Association: An Analysis 186 of the Women’s Temperance Movement in Ireland. Chapter five - The Ulster Women’s Declaration and the Role of Women in 220 the Campaign against Home Rule. Conclusion 264 Bibliography 279 4 List of tables/ Figures Table 2.1. Financial statement of a DWSA public meeting for 1877 Table 2.2. A detailed example of the DWSA’s financial statement for 1878 Table 2.3. Financial statement for the year 1879 Table 2.4. Population statistics for selected UK cities, 1881 Table 2.5. IWSLGA’s total income and expenditure from 1896-1913. Table 2.6. IWSLGA’s income for the year 1897 Table 2.7. IWSLGA’s expenditure for the year 1897 Table 2.8. Suffrage petitions submitted to Parliament, 1879-1889 Table 2.9. Signatures submitted to Parliament, 1879-1889 Table 2.10. Women voted to local government positions Figure 2.1. Meetings held by the DWSA/IWSLGA 1876-1913 Figure 2.2. Men and women chairing meetings of the DWSA/IWSLGA, 1876- 1913 Figure 2.3. IWSLGA subscribers, 1896-1913 Figure 2.4. Number of subscribers to the Cork branch of the IWSLGA, 1908- 1912 5 Abbreviations Archives PRONI Public Record Office of Northern Ireland NAI National Archives of Ireland NLI National Library of Ireland Publications/Resources BWTJ British Women’s Temperance Journal SCPP Select Committee on Public Petitions WSJ Women’s Suffrage Journal Organisations CLWSI Church League for Women’s Suffrage Ireland BWTA Belfast Women’s Temperance Association DWSA Dublin Women’s Suffrage Association DWTA Dublin Women’s Temperance Association ICWSA Irish Catholic Women’s Suffrage Association IPP Irish Parliamentary Party IWFL Irish Women’s Franchise League IWRL Irish Women’s Reform League IWSLGA Irish Women’s Suffrage and Local Government Association IWSS Irish Women’s Suffrage Society IWTU Irish Women’s Temperance Union LLL Ladies’ Land League LNA Ladies’ National Association for the Repeal of the Contagious Diseases Acts MWFL Munster Women’s Franchise League NARCDA National Association for the Repeal of the Contagious Diseases Acts NIWSS Northern Irish Women’s Suffrage Society 6 NMA National Medical Association NSWS National Society for Women’s Suffrage NUWSS National Union of Women's Suffrage Societies UUC Ulster Unionist Council UWUC Ulster Women’s Unionist Council WSPU Women’s Social and Political Union WWCTU World Women’s Christian Temperance Union 7 Acknowledgements This research was funded by a Leverhulme Trust Research Project Grant (RPG- 2016-097). Thanks to this funding, I was offered the incredible opportunity to be part of the Leverhulme Trust funded project ‘Re-thinking petitions, Parliament and People in the long nineteenth century’. I am additionally grateful to have been part of the AHRC funded Network on Petitions and Petitioning (AH/R008868/1), from which I learned a great deal and I am very thankful for all the advice I received there. I would like to express my deepest appreciation to my supervisors Richard Huzzey and Henry Miller. I cannot thank them enough for the incredible support they gave me, as they always went above and beyond to advise me on my research and writing. Thanks to their help, I have learned so much and writing this thesis became a very enriching and unforgettable experience. Without their guidance and encouragement this would not have been possible. I must also show my appreciation to David Craig, Grace Stephenson and my colleagues and friends in the Durham history department, your advice and support has always been valued. I want to thank all of the very kind researchers I met throughout my PhD who readily offered guidance and still do thanks to the twitterstorians community! Special thanks also to Conor Mulvagh who encouraged me to apply for the PhD and has continued to offer me advice since my time in UCD. Finally, my sincere and deep gratitude to my parents, Carmel and Kieran, my older sister Brenda, and all of my incredible friends. Thank you for always supporting and believing in me. I could not have done this without you. 8 Introduction Scope and significance This thesis seeks to re-examine the politicisation of Irish women, which began with earnest in the later nineteenth-century. A long period of time, 1870-1918, was chosen for this study in order to trace patterns of campaigning activism and to focus on a crucial period in the formation of both female and Irish political cultures. Women found ways to enter political spaces across the long nineteenth century, however, it was from 1870 onwards that women began to join and organise their own formal political campaigns. This dissertation will also focus primarily on the campaign method of petitioning. Studies on Irish women’s political agency have tended to focus on individuals or organisations, but studying a type of campaigning, such as petitioning, allows for comparison between the different causes and a focus on the practice of how women most commonly participated in politics. These women became increasingly involved in political life and tried to influence both society and politics while navigating the expectations and frustrations of a male polity. This dissertation will show that from the 1870s onwards, varying types of women’s organisations were able to exert their influence in politics and create new spaces for women’s political participation and activism. Some organisations shared similar aims, such as the attainment of Parliamentary franchise, while other bodies sought to combine moral reform with suffrage agendas. There were also women who had no concern for the progression of women’s rights but still contributed to the overall politicisation of Irish women. All of the organisations examined in this thesis ultimately intensified and developed the role of women in politics and in public life.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Suffragette: the Battle for Equality Author/ Illustrator: David Roberts Publisher: Two Hoots (2018)
    cilip KATE GREENAWAY shortlist 2019 shadowing resources CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal 2019 VISUAL LITERACY NOTES Title: Suffragette the Battle for Equality Author/ Illustrator: David Roberts Publisher: Two Hoots First look This is a nonfiction book about the women and men who fought for women’s rights at the beginning of the 20th Century. It is packed with information – some that we regularly read or hear about, and some that is not often highlighted regarding this time in history. There may not be time for every shadower to read this text as it is quite substantial, so make sure they have all shared the basic facts before concentrating on the illustrations. Again, there are a lot of pictures so the following suggestions are to help to navigate around the text to give all shadowers a good knowledge of the artwork. After sharing a first look through the book ask for first responses to Suffragette before looking in more detail. Look again It is possible to group the illustrations into three categories. Find these throughout the book; 1. Portraits of individuals who either who were against giving women the vote or who were involved in the struggle. Because photography was becoming established we can see photos of these people. Some of them are still very well-known; for example, H.H. Asquith, Prime Minister from 1908 to 1916 and Winston Churchill, Home Secretary from 1910 to 1911. They were both against votes for women. Other people became well-known because they were leading suffragettes; for example, Christabel Pankhurst and Annie Kenney. 2.
    [Show full text]
  • TRANSNATIONAL SMYTH: SUFFRAGE, COSMOPOLITANISM, NETWORKS Erica Fedor a Thesis Submitted to the Faculty at the University Of
    TRANSNATIONAL SMYTH: SUFFRAGE, COSMOPOLITANISM, NETWORKS Erica Fedor A thesis submitted to the faculty at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in the Department of Music. Chapel Hill 2018 Approved by: Annegret Fauser David Garcia Tim Carter © 2018 Erica Fedor ALL RIGHTS RESERVED ii ABSTRACT Erica Fedor: Transnational Smyth: Suffrage, Cosmopolitanism, Networks (Under the direction of Annegret Fauser) This thesis examines the transnational entanglements of Dame Ethel Smyth (1858–1944), which are exemplified through her travel and movement, her transnational networks, and her music’s global circulation. Smyth studied music in Leipzig, Germany, as a young woman; composed an opera (The Boatswain’s Mate) while living in Egypt; and even worked as a radiologist in France during the First World War. In order to achieve performances of her work, she drew upon a carefully-cultivated transnational network of influential women—her powerful “matrons.” While I acknowledge the sexism and misogyny Smyth encountered and battled throughout her life, I also wish to broaden the scholarly conversation surrounding Smyth to touch on the ways nationalism, mobility, and cosmopolitanism contribute to, and impact, a composer’s reputations and reception. Smyth herself acknowledges the particular double-bind she faced—that of being a woman and a composer with German musical training trying to break into the English music scene. Using Ethel Smyth as a case study, this thesis draws upon the composer’s writings, reviews of Smyth’s musical works, popular-press articles, and academic sources to examine broader themes regarding the ways nationality, transnationality, and locality intersect with issues of gender and institutionalized sexism.
    [Show full text]
  • Durham Research Online
    Durham Research Online Deposited in DRO: 23 October 2020 Version of attached le: Accepted Version Peer-review status of attached le: Peer-reviewed Citation for published item: Miller, Henry (2021) 'The British women's surage movement and the practice of petitioning, 1890-1914.', Historical journal., 64 (2). pp. 332-356. Further information on publisher's website: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0018246X20000035 Publisher's copyright statement: This article has been published in a revised form in The Historical Journal http://doi.org/10.1017/S0018246X20000035. This version is published under a Creative Commons CC-BY-NC-ND. No commercial re-distribution or re-use allowed. Derivative works cannot be distributed. c The Author(s), 2020. Additional information: Use policy The full-text may be used and/or reproduced, and given to third parties in any format or medium, without prior permission or charge, for personal research or study, educational, or not-for-prot purposes provided that: • a full bibliographic reference is made to the original source • a link is made to the metadata record in DRO • the full-text is not changed in any way The full-text must not be sold in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders. Please consult the full DRO policy for further details. Durham University Library, Stockton Road, Durham DH1 3LY, United Kingdom Tel : +44 (0)191 334 3042 | Fax : +44 (0)191 334 2971 https://dro.dur.ac.uk THE BRITISH WOMEN’S SUFFRAGE MOVEMENT AND THE PRACTICE OF PETITIONING, 1890-1914* HENRY MILLER Durham University Abstract. Through an examination of the women’s suffrage movement, this article reassesses the place of petitioning within late nineteenth and early twentieth-century British political culture.
    [Show full text]
  • Women's Organizations in Pre-Independence India
    International Journal of Applied Research 2019; 5(1): 142-145 ISSN Print: 2394-7500 ISSN Online: 2394-5869 Women’s organizations in pre-independence India Impact Factor: 5.2 IJAR 2019; 5(1): 142-145 www.allresearchjournal.com Received: 04-11-2018 Jagdeep Kaur Accepted: 06-12-2018 Abstract Jagdeep Kaur Women have been playing different roles in civilization since ancient times and these roles have been Research Scholar, Political changing over the period. Research studies have demonstrated that women have raised their position Science Department, Punjabi from low to high and made a place in different sectors. In India women have been suffering from University Patiala. Punjab, social, political and economic inequalities for a very long time. From the low points in medieval period, India women suffered a lot and still struggling for gender equality. However the things started changing with th the launching of some social reform movements in the 19 century. The educational experiments of the th th late 19 and early 20 centuries brought women out from household chores. Therefore women began to communicate with women outside their families and local communities. As a result of this various women’s organizations developed from the 19th century onwards. Keywords: Women associations, women development, awareness campaign Introduction In this paper an attempt has been made to discuss various women’s organizations which were emerged in pre-independence India and laid the foundation of the political participation of women. The roots of the Indian women’s participation in politics can be traced back to the 19th century reform movement.
    [Show full text]
  • The Life and Works of Beatrice Elvery, 1881-1920
    Nationalism, Motherhood, and Activism: The Life and Works of Beatrice Elvery, 1881-1920 Melissa S. Bowen A Thesis Submitted to the Department of History California State University Bakersfield In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts in History May 2015 Copyright By Melissa S. Bowen 2015 Acknowledgments I am incredibly grateful for the encouragement and support of Cal State Bakersfield’s History Department faculty, who as a group worked closely with me in preparing me for this fruitful endeavor. I am most grateful to my advisor, Cliona Murphy, whose positive enthusiasm, never- ending generosity, and infinite wisdom on Irish History made this project worthwhile and enjoyable. I would not have been able to put as much primary research into this project as I did without the generous scholarship awarded to me by Cal State Bakersfield’s GRASP office, which allowed me to travel to Ireland and study Beatrice Elvery’s work first hand. I am also grateful to the scholars and professionals who helped me with my research such as Dr. Stephanie Rains, Dr. Nicola Gordon Bowe, and Rector John Tanner. Lastly, my research would not nearly have been as extensive if it were not for my hosts while in Ireland, Brian Murphy, Miriam O’Brien, and Angela Lawlor, who all welcomed me into their homes, filled me with delicious Irish food, and guided me throughout the country during my entire trip. List of Illustrations Sheppard, Oliver. 1908. Roisin Dua. St. Stephen's Green, Dublin. 2 Orpen, R.C. 1908. 1909 Seal. The Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland, Dublin.
    [Show full text]
  • Volunteer Women: Militarized Femininity in the 1916 Easter Rising
    Chapman University Chapman University Digital Commons War and Society (MA) Theses Dissertations and Theses Spring 5-20-2019 Volunteer Women: Militarized Femininity in the 1916 Easter Rising Sasha Conaway Chapman University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.chapman.edu/war_and_society_theses Part of the Women's History Commons, and the Women's Studies Commons Recommended Citation Conaway, Sasha. Volunteer Women: Militarized Femininity in the 1916 Easter Rising. 2019. Chapman University, MA Thesis. Chapman University Digital Commons, https://doi.org/10.36837/chapman.000079 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Dissertations and Theses at Chapman University Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in War and Society (MA) Theses by an authorized administrator of Chapman University Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Volunteer Women: Militarized Femininity in the 1916 Easter Rising A Thesis by Sasha Conaway Chapman University Orange, CA Wilkinson College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in War and Society May 2019 Committee in Charge Jennifer Keene, Ph.D., Chair Charissa Threat, Ph.D. John Emery, Ph. D. May 2019 Volunteer Women: Militarized Femininity in the 1916 Easter Rising Copyright © 2019 by Sasha Conaway iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank my parents, Elda and Adam Conaway, for supporting me in pursuit of my master’s degree. They provided useful advice when tackling such a large project and I am forever grateful. I would also like to thank my advisor, Dr.
    [Show full text]
  • History of Woman Suffrage Vol.V
    History of Woman Suffrage Vol.V By Elizabeth Cady Stanton History of Woman Suffrage Vol.V CHAPTER XLVI WISCONSIN. Progressive Legislation—The Rights of Married Women—The Constitution Shows Four Classes Having the Right to Vote—Woman Suffrage Agitation—C. L. Sholes' Minority Report, —Judge David Noggle and J. T. Mills' Minority Report, —State Association Formed, —Milwaukee Convention—Dr. Laura Ross—Hearing Before the Legislature— Convention in Janesville, —State University—Elizabeth R. Wentworth—Suffrage Amendment, , '81, '82—Rev. Olympia Brown, Racine, —Madame Anneke—Judge Ryan— Three Days' Convention at Racine, —Eveleen L. Mason—Dr. Sarah Munro—Rev. Dr. Corwin—Lavinia Goodell, Lawyer—Angie King—Kate Kane. For this digest of facts in regard to the progress of woman in Wisconsin we are indebted to Dr. Laura Ross Wolcott, who was probably the first woman to practice medicine in a Western State. She was in Philadelphia during all the contest about the admission of women to hospitals and mixed classes, maintained her dignity and self-respect in the midst of most aggravating persecutions, and was graduated with high honors in from the Woman's Medical College of Pennsylvania, of which Ann Preston, M. D., was professor for nineteen years, six years dean of the faculty, and four years member of the board of incorporators. After graduation Laura Ross spent two years in study abroad, and, returning, commenced practice in Milwaukee, where she has been ever since. By an act of Congress approved May , , Wisconsin was admitted to the Union. Its diversity of soil and timber, the healthfulness of its climate and the purity of its waters, attracted people from the New England and Middle States, who brought with them fixed notions as to moral conduct and political action, and no little repugnance to many of the features of the old common law.
    [Show full text]
  • Paseta Text.Indd
    The Kehoe Lecture in Irish History 2018 Suffrage and citizenship in Ireland, 1912–18 Senia Pašeta LONDON INSTITUTE OF HISTORICAL RESEARCH Published by UNIVERSITY OF LONDON SCHOOL OF ADVANCED STUDY INSTITUTE OF HISTORICAL RESEARCH Senate House, Malet Street, London WC1E 7HU 2019 This book is published under a Creative Commons Attribution- NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0) license. More information regarding CC licenses is available at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/ Available to download free at http://www.humanities-digital-library.org ISBN 978-1-912702-18-3 (PDF edition) ISBN 978-1-912702-31-2 (paperback edition) DOI 10.14296/119.9781912702183 Senia Pašeta is professor of modern history at the University of Oxford and a fellow of St Hugh’s College, Oxford. A specialist in the history of late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century Ireland, Senia’s current research focuses on women’s political activism and on connections between Irish and British radical politics. Her publications include Irish Nationalist Women, 1900–1918 (Cambridge, 2013) and Uncertain Futures: Essays about the Irish Past (Oxford, 2016). The Kehoe Lecture in Irish Historyis one of the principal named lectures hosted each year by the Institute of Historical Research, University of London. Inaugurated in 2016, the Kehoe Lecture promotes new research undertaken by leading scholars of Irish history and culture. Suffrage and citizenship in Ireland, 1912–18 Senia Pašeta Presented on 15 November 2018 at the Institute of Historical Research, University of London All Irish historians and anyone interested in Irish history will know that we have for some time been in the middle of a decade of centenaries.
    [Show full text]
  • The Ohio State University
    MAKING COMMON CAUSE?: WESTERN AND MIDDLE EASTERN FEMINISTS IN THE INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S MOVEMENT, 1911-1948 DISSERTATION Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University By Charlotte E. Weber, M.A. * * * * * The Ohio State University 2003 Dissertation Committee: Approved by Professor Leila J. Rupp, Adviser Professor Susan M. Hartmann _________________________ Adviser Professor Ellen Fleischmann Department of History ABSTRACT This dissertation exposes important junctures between feminism, imperialism, and orientalism by investigating the encounter between Western and Middle Eastern feminists in the first-wave international women’s movement. I focus primarily on the International Alliance of Women for Suffrage and Equal Citizenship, and to a lesser extent, the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom. By examining the interaction and exchanges among Western and Middle Eastern women (at conferences and through international visits, newsletters and other correspondence), as well as their representations of “East” and “West,” this study reveals the conditions of and constraints on the potential for feminist solidarity across national, cultural, and religious boundaries. In addition to challenging the notion that feminism in the Middle East was “imposed” from outside, it also complicates conventional wisdom about the failure of the first-wave international women’s movement to accommodate difference. Influenced by growing ethos of cultural internationalism
    [Show full text]
  • Most Eminent Indian Women Who Contributed to the Constitution of India
    _____________________________________________________________________________________________________ Written & Conceptualized by: Bonani Dhar Development Sociologist, Gender & Human Resource Specialist Ex-World Bank & UN Adviser CDGI, Students & Faculty Development Cell & Chairperson WDC Phone: 9810237354 _____________________________________________________________________________________________________ Most Eminent Indian Women who contributed to the Constitution of India The Constitution of India was adopted by the elected Constituent Assembly on 26 November 1949 and came into effect on 26 January 1950. The total membership of the Constituent Assembly was 389. While we all remember Dr. B R Ambedkar as the Father of the Constitution and other pioneering male members who helped draft the Indian Constitution, the contribution of the fifteen female members of the Constituent Assembly is easily forgotten. On this Republic Day, let’s take a look at the powerful women who helped draft our Constitution. 1. Ammu Swaminathan Image Credit: The Indian Express Ammu Swaminathan was born into an upper caste Hindu family in Anakkara of Palghat district, Kerala. She formed the Women’s India Association in 1917 in Madras, along with Annie Besant, Margaret Cousins, Malathi Patwardhan, Mrs Dadabhoy and Mrs Ambujammal. She became a part of the Constituent Assembly from the Madras Constituency in 1946. In a speech during the discussion on the motion by Dr B R Ambedkar to pass the draft Constitution on November 24, 1949, an optimistic and confident Ammu said, “People outside have been saying that India did not give equal rights to her women. Now we can say that when the Indian people themselves framed their Constitution they have given rights to women equal with every other citizen of the country.” She was elected to the Lok Sabha in 1952 and Rajya Sabha in 1954.
    [Show full text]
  • Liner Notes by Kabir Sehgal
    Liner Notes By Kabir Sehgal Listen to music https://ffm.to/shouldertoshoulder Next year, 2020, isn’t just a presidential election year. It’s the 100-year anniversary of the nineteenth Amendment to the Constitution, which became law on August 18, 1920, when Tennessee became the thirty-sixth state to approve the measure. The amendment was effectively just one sentence: “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 sex.” It took some seventy years (and arguably more) to ink this clause into law. And it had immediate and enormous effects on the electorate as some 26 million women could vote in the 1920 presidential election, which swelled to over 74 million who voted in the 2016 election. And while the enactment of this amendment was cause for celebration one hundred years ago, it also exacerbated societal fissures, as African American women and other minorities weren’t able to fully participate in elections. Throughout American history, deciding which minority group should be granted suffrage has been the subject of intense debate. To clarify a common misconception, suffrage doesn’t mean “to suffer.” Suffrage comes from the Latin suffragium, which means “vote” or the “right to vote.” Although when you consider the suffering that many have endured to attain suffrage, the two words seem like synonyms and sound like homonyms. Yet what’s most evident are their antonyms: intolerance, inequality, and injustice. Women, African Americans, immigrants, and more “minority” groups have had their voting rights denied or diminished through history.
    [Show full text]
  • The International Arbitration and Peace Association1
    ‘the truest form of patriotism’ 7 ‘Unity is strength’: the International Arbitration and Peace Association1 he absolutist Peace Society dominated the British peace movement throughout most of the nineteenth century. However, T its absolutism was increasingly challenged from mid-century onwards, and it became apparent by the 1870s, as a result of republican nationalist campaigns in Europe, and in Britain the rise of working men’s peace groups and the growth of the women’s movement, that there was also some demand for a secular peace organisation. The Inter- national Arbitration and Peace Association (IAPA), founded in 1880, was the main secular peace organisation in Britain and the one which experienced the greatest conflict with the Peace Society. Significantly, it was also the most likely of the mixed peace societies to draw in women from the feminist movement. It accommodated a variety of feminist perspectives, as well as attracting women such as Priscilla Peckover who were active within the peace movement but maintained a distance from the women’s movement. As an organisation, the IAPA drew together discourses of liberalism, socialism, Evangelicalism, feminism and internationalism, a blend that made it central to both the British and European peace movements. The IAPA acknowledged European definitions of ‘just wars’ and refused to be swept along in the tide of jingoistic imperialism that gripped Britain at the turn of the century. Although it was officially secular in its arguments for peace, it had many members who upheld religious and Evangelical ideas. The IAPA’s arguments for equality drew in women from various strands of the feminist movement, giving rise to a range of ways of working within the organisation.
    [Show full text]