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Motor Corps and Canteen volunteers from the Detroit chapter of the American Red Cross, taking a break from delivering supplies to flu victims. Photo credit: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1918 Pandemic Historical Image Gallery. Women’s Sufrage and the Pandemic of 1918 Christopher P. Graham Lucy Murphy In the United States alone, it killed deemed unpatriotic. As a result, a num- an estimated 675,000 people.2 And as ber of women, including many sufrag- “Everything conspires against women COVID-19 has caused the cancellation ists, swapped their right to vote eforts for suffrage. Now it is the influenza.” of numerous events planned to celebrate those necessitated by the war. — A suffragist the hundred year anniversary of the pas- In a recent book, Allison Lange, author quoted in the New Orleans sage and ratiication of the 19th Amend- and history professor at the Wentworth Times-Picayune in 1918 ment to the United States Constitution, Institute of Technology, notes that tens of _____________ the current pandemic also reminds us that thousands of nurses served in the Army the pandemic of 1918 nearly derailed the and Navy Nurse corps in the United States he COVID-19 pandemic, also women’s sufrage movement. and on the front lines in Europe during T known as the coronavirus, has the war.3 Millions more volunteered for caused tremendous upheaval in the Getting the 19th Amendment the American Red Cross, the Salvation daily lives of people in the United States to a vote: The suffragist’s Army, and countless other organizations and around the globe. Not since shortly pre-pandemic war efforts by helping to raise money, roll bandages, ater the turn of the century has the world prove fruitful sew blankets, prepare meals, and provide seen a disease cause so much disruption, other material support for U.S. soldiers. discord, and death. he pandemic of 1918, When the U.S. Congress declared war Women also entered the workforce in more commonly known as the “Spanish against Germany in April of 1917, crit- large numbers, taking up traditionally Flu pandemic,” involved a novel strand of ics initially condemned the women’s suf- male jobs in oices, factories, and agri- inluenza. he Spanish Flu killed an esti- frage movement. he United States was at culture–marking a major shit from prior mated 50 million people worldwide–more war, and anything that diverted attention domestic employment. than the 14th Century Black Plague.1 away from the country’s war efort was Recognizing that their patriotic ef- 26 the Advocate • November/December 2020 forts led to increased goodwill among the Amendment to the U.S. Constitution by Champ Clark, a Democrat from Missouri, American public, some sufragists sought a vote of 274 to 136.7 On September 30, came down with the lu on October 7. he to relocate that goodwill back to the de- 1918, President Woodrow Wilson voiced same day, Congress closed all of its public mand for the right to vote. For example, his support for the amendment and im- viewing galleries and by the middle of the in a speech designed to be read as an open plored the Democrat controlled Senate to month, nearly every lawmaker in Wash- letter to Congress, prominent sufragist deliver “justice to women.”8 he question ington D.C. was either sick or taking care Carrie Chapman Catt noted that “[m]en was: did the sufragists have the votes they of someone who was sick. here was no and women are paying the frightful cost of needed to pass the amendment? he fol- action being taken on the amendment or 12 war and bearing its sad and sickening sor- lowing day, however, the sufragists had any other legislation. rows together. Tomorrow they will share their answer as the amendment fell two Sufragists, already stung by the amendment’s defeat in the Senate, found its rewards together in democracies which votes short of the two-thirds present and themselves unable to pursue lobbying make no discriminations on account of voting required for passage, 53-31.9 eforts in states where referendums on sex.”4 he amendment failed for two primary women’s voting rights would be held. For example, in Louisiana, “all was ready for beginning a whirlwind campaign on Oc- tober 1, when suddenly just before that Because they could not hold public gatherings, date the inluenza epidemic broke out and no assembling of people was allowed.”13 In the sufragists instead focused their eforts South Dakota, another referendum state, “ there were “plans developed for a re- in more personal ways, such as writing letters, newed and revised campaign,” when the pandemic struck and cut of “all possibil- making telephone calls, ity of public speaking and even meetings in open air.”14 and taking out ads in the newspaper. To make matters worse, the November mid-term elections were rapidly approach- ing, and sufragists wanted to step up their campaign eforts for pro-amendment can- ” didates in those states whose Senators had Other sufragists, such as Maud reasons. First, some senators, like Borah, voted against the amendment a month Younger of the National Women’s Party were opposed on anti-federalist grounds. prior. But rallies, speeches, and other po- (“NWP”), however, took a more direct Although Borah supported women’s suf- litical activities were suspended because approach. Younger and other NWP suf- frage–in fact, women had been able to of the pandemic. A train tour of previ- fragists embarked on a tireless lobbying vote in Idaho since 1896–Borah insisted ously arrested sufrage protestors that was campaign designed to gain the vote of that the issue was best let to be resolved anticipated to draw large crowds along its those Senators, including Idaho’s William by the individual states.10 Second, other route from Washington D.C. to Oregon Borah, who had voted “no” on the nation- senators, in particular southern Demo- was postponed.15 Catt was metaphorically al sufrage amendment bill in 1914.5 For crats, opposed the amendment by em- “chained to her bed” with the lu. hings instance, if a senator was known to arrive ploying a combination of racist and sexist were so bad that in Wyoming in late Oc- at his oice at 7:30 a.m., Younger had a ideology: women simply did not possess tober, “it was considered immoral for six lobbyist waiting outside his oice at 7:29. the emotional or intellectual capacity to women to meet in a parlor….” Instead, Some senators appreciated the NWP’s make a rational decision when voting, and the “only way was to campaign by dodgers persistence and some did not. “Nagging!” black women in particular posed a threat and street signs.”16 Senator Irvine Lenroot of Wisconsin is because they would undoubtedly vote Re- said to have exclaimed ater one such en- publican, the party of Abraham Lincoln.11 The fight lives on: counter. “If you women would only stop Adaptation and resilience nagging!”6 The movement in peril: The pandemic hits Washington Because they could not hold public gatherings, the sufragists instead focused Defeated but undeterred: D.C. and the rest of the nation The U.S. Senate narrowly their eforts in more personal ways, such as writing letters, making telephone calls, rejects the 19th Amendment Only a few days ater the amend- ment’s defeat in the Senate, the pandemic and taking out ads in the newspaper. More he combined eforts of Catt, Younger, of 1918 gripped Washington, D.C. he than a million pamphlets were printed and many other sufragists paid dividends, House majority leader, Claude Kitchin, for distribution by sufragist supporters however. On January 10, 1918, the U.S. a Democrat from North Carolina, fell ill to hang from door to door.17 Sufragists House of Representatives passed the 19th on October 6. he speaker of the House, “emphasized their patriotism and quoted the Advocate • November/December 2020 27 the president saying that votes for women was a proper reward for their wartime sacriice.”18 Again, the sufragists’ persistent and varied eforts paid dividends. Sufrage referendums in South Dakota, Michigan, and Oklahoma all passed by a wide mar- gin.19 he November mid-term elections he pandemic of 1918 also notably resulted in the Democrats losing control of the Senate and included nearly upended the sufragists’ attempts prominent wins by pro-sufrage candi- “ dates in Massachusetts and Delaware.20 to gain equal voting rights. In Idaho, William Borah retained his seat in the Senate, but–fearing that his op- position to the sufrage amendment would ” cost him the election–allegedly did so only ater striking a back room deal with NWP leader Alice Paul in which Borah agreed to vote in favor of the sufrage amendment if graduated with a B.A. in his- TIME, June 3, 2020, https://time.com/5833604/1918- flu-pandemic-women-suffrage-movement/. reelected.21 Borah would later renege on tory from Boise State Uni- 4. Carrie Chapman Catt, Open Address to the U.S. the supposed deal and vote against the versity in 1995 and received Congress – November 2017, https://awpc.cattcen- amendment again in 1919. his J.D., cum laude, from the ter.iastate.edu/2017/03/21/address-to-congress- University of Idaho College november-1917/. Renewed enthusiasm: At long of Law in 2000, where he 5. Women’s Suffrage Centennial Part III: The Last was Editor-in-Chief of the Trench, https://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/his- last, passage and ratification tory/People/Women/Part3_TheLastTrench.htm. Idaho Law Review. He is a member of the 6. Id. As the pandemic began to wane, the Idaho Legal History Society and recently 7.

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