The Nineteenth-Century Woman Suffrage Movements of Maine And
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The University of Maine DigitalCommons@UMaine Electronic Theses and Dissertations Fogler Library 2009 "In Order to Establish Justice": The inetN eenth- Century Woman Suffrage Movements of Maine and New Brunswick Shannon M. Risk Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/etd Part of the Women's History Commons Recommended Citation Risk, Shannon M., ""In Order to Establish Justice": The ineN teenth-Century Woman Suffrage Movements of Maine and New Brunswick" (2009). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 181. http://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/etd/181 This Open-Access Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by DigitalCommons@UMaine. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@UMaine. “IN ORDER TO ESTABLISH JUSTICE”: THE NINETEENTH-CENTURY WOMAN SUFFRAGE MOVEMENTS OF MAINE AND NEW BRUNSWICK By Shannon M. Risk B.A. University of Northern Iowa, 1994 M.A. University of Maine, 1996 A THESIS Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy (in History) The Graduate School University of Maine May 2009 Advisory Committee Marli F. Weiner †, Professor of History, Advisor Richard W. Judd, Professor of History, Advisor Amy Fried, Associate Professor of Political Science Mazie Hough, Associate Director Women in Curriculum Scott W. See, Professor of History Carol Nordstrom Toner, Maine Studies Program Director and Research Associate † Deceased LIBRARY RIGHTS STATEMENT In presenting this thesis in partial fulfillment of the requirements for an advanced degree at the University of Maine, I agree that the Library shall make it freely available for inspection. I further agree that permission for “fair use” copying of this thesis for scholarly purposes may be granted by the Librarian. It is understood that any copying or publication of this thesis for financial gain shall not be allowed without my written permission. Shannon M. Risk May 2009 “IN ORDER TO ESTABLISH JUSTICE”: THE NINETEENTH-CENTURY WOMAN SUFFRAGE MOVEMENTS OF MAINE AND NEW BRUNSWICK By Shannon M. Risk Thesis Advisor: Dr. Marli F. Weiner † Dr. Richard Judd An Abstract of the Thesis Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy (in History) May 2009 The study of the nineteenth-century woman suffrage movements in Maine and New Brunswick brings to light the struggles of Americans and Canadians to define a wider democracy and citizenry amid times of profound socio-economic changes. Targeting the struggle for the female vote allows the historian to explore time-honored ideas about womanhood, manhood, and membership in a national political body. In the Borderlands of Maine and New Brunswick, a place where historians see cultural connections, the border loomed large. Borderlands historians have virtually ignored women’s political behavior in this region. This study will demonstrate that although Maine and New Brunswick women both tapped into the ideals of the Enlightenment and individual and property rights, their political work diverged by the turn of the twentieth century. The women, with a history of working together on issues of temperance, religion and slavery that transcended the border, were more tuned into the work of their national organizations and political structures when it came to suffrage. _____________________ † Deceased Maine woman suffrage was shaped by the American Revolutionary War and its ideals, the rights of citizens, which allowed for a process of professionalization and radicalism. Maine women also had training in the anti-slavery movement, which strengthened their ideas about woman suffrage. By the turn of the twentieth century, Maine suffragists had strong ties to national and international suffrage organizations, and drew upon these to bolster their own stateside cause. In New Brunswick, the Loyalist legacy continued, in the nineteenth century, with its emphasis on hierarchy and the importance of property ownership, to influence ideas about suffrage and women’s place in society. Despite a brief blossoming of female leadership connected to the Maritime Woman’s Christian Temperance Union and Saint John suffragists, female reformers could not always target the vote as their chief goal, nor did they attempt to fight for it as citizens, but rather, as property owners. In this respect, the New Brunswick suffrage movement was dampened by the social gospel movement that sought to bring religion to the streets, other women’s reform causes, and the limitations of land-owning suffrage, by the early twentieth century. ii DEDICATION For my grandfather, William Franklin Ball And Marli F. Weiner iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The author thanks those involved in this dissertation project. At the University of Maine, advisor, Marli F. Weiner, who passed away on March 2, 2009, was her mentor and friend for fifteen years. Richard Judd, also an ally since 1994, served as advisor during the final phase of this project. The dissertation committee consisting of Scott See, Mazie Hough, Carol Toner and Amy Fried provided immeasurable guidance. At the University of New Brunswick, Linda Kealey and Gail Campbell gave crucial oversight towards the Canadian portion of this work. Generous funding was received from a number of institutions, specifically from the Canadian-U.S. Fulbright Program, three teaching assistantships, Alice Stewart Fellowship, and the New England-Atlantic Provinces-Quebec Fellowship from the History Department and the Canadian-American Center at the University of Maine. The Graduate School provided the Summer Research Fellowship in 2006 and 2007. The Dunn Grant from the History Department and funding from the Graduate Student Government at the University of Maine helped this project. The Women’s Studies/Women in the Curriculum Programs continually backed this work and the author’s pedagogical training, and provided office space. Finally, during the 2008-2009 year, the University of New Brunswick graciously allowed the author a “room of her own.” Last, the author thanks her family and friends for their unwavering support. Without them this project would not be possible. The following individuals and institutions aided this project: MAINE Albion Historical Society: Philip G. Dow, Sr. Aroostook Historical Society: Catherine Bell Bangor Historical Society: Teri Garner and Dana Lippett Bangor Public Library: William Cook and Elizabeth Stevens Bates College: Elaine Ardia Belfast Museum and Historical Society: Megan Pinnette iv Colby College: Maggie Libby Cornish Historical Society: Frank C. Smith C.M. Bailey Public Library (Winthrop): Melanie Taylor Coombs Ellsworth Public Library: Charlene Fox Clemens Farnsworth Museum: Janice Kasper Hampden Historical Society: Nadine Hoyt Hancock Historical Society: Lois Crabtree Johnson Maine Historical Society William Barry, Jamie Kingman Rice, Stephanie Philbrook, and Patrick Garrity Maine Law & Legislative Library: Mark Knierim and John Barden Maine State Archives: Jeffrey Brown Maine State Library: Betsy Lithgow, Michele Brann and Susan McCarthy Maine State Museum: Deanna Bonner-Ganter Old Orchard Historical Society: Joyce Rorabaugh Portland Public Library/Portland Room: Margot McCain Rockland Historical Society: Marjorie East and Richard M. Snow Saco Historical Society: Sallie Huot Sebasticook/Hartland Historical Society: Jane Briggs and F. Wayne Libby Skowhegan Public Library: Ruth Ford Blood Standish Historical Society: Dana Edgecomb University of Maine: Ann Schonberger, Ray Pelletier, Charlie Slavin, and Nathan Godfried University of Maine Fogler Library and Special Collections: Karen Stewart, Benjamin Proud, Brenda Steeves, Elaine Smith, Betsy Beattie, Nancy Lewis, and Christopher Tuttle. University of New England, Westbrook College Campus: Librarian, Roberta C. Gray; Cally Gurley and Sue Walker of the Maine Women Writers Collection Vassalboro Historical Society: Betty Taylor Woodlawn Museum: Rosamund Rea NEW BRUNSWICK Behne, Ted, Adney Family Historian Hale, Wallace, Woodstock Historian Hunter, Daryl, Sharp Family Historian L.P. Fisher Public Library (Woodstock): Greg Campbell and Jonathan Tait Mount Allison University Archives: Rhianna Edwards New Brunswick Genealogical Society New Brunswick Legislative Library: Tom Stillwell New Brunswick Museum: Daryl E. Johnson Provincial Archives of New Brunswick (PANB): Janice Cook, Daniel F. Johnson (Deceased) Saint John Free Public Library: Keith MacKinnon University of New Brunswick: Gail Campbell, Linda Kealey; Archives: Pat Belier and Linda Baier OTHER Adney Dragon, Joan, granddaughter of Minnie Bell and Tappan Adney Byrn Mawr College: Marianne Hansen Dalhousie University: Jerry Bannister Duke University: Marlyse H. MacDonald Guildford, Janet, Mount Saint Vincent University Morton, Suzanne, McGill University Statistics Canada: Simone Piscali Swarthmore College: Wendy Chmielewski v TABLE OF CONTENTS DEDICATION . ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS . .. iii-iv Chapter 1. INTRODUCTION . 1 2. “IS EQUALITY AN IDEA ONLY?” EARLY CHALLENGES TO WOMEN’S PLACE IN EARLY MAINE AND NEW BRUNSWICK . .. .24 3. “MR. EDITOR, HAVE WE DIGRESSED?” AFTER CIVIL WAR AND CONFEDERATION: WOMEN CHALLENGE THEIR STATUS . .. 62 4. “FOR WOMEN WHO CAN READ AND WRITE INTELLIGENTLY”: MAINE AND NEW BRUNSWICK WOMEN ORGANIZE AND PETITION ON BEHALF OF SUFFRAGE . 83 5. “WE FEAR SINCERELY THAT THE EFFECT WILL BE INJURIOUS TO THE WOMEN THEMSELVES”: THE ANTI-SUFFRAGISTS . .121 6. “IN ORDER TO ESTABLISH JUSTICE”: MAINE AND NEW BRUNSWICK