SPRING 2020 NEWSLETTER & CALENDAR OF EVENTS RATIFIED! TEMPORARY EXHIBITION, PG 2 NEW ACQUISITIONS, PG 14 CALENDAR OF EVENTS, PG 18 FROM THE DIRECTOR It was 100 Years Ago … his year marks the 100th Anniversary of Tennessee’s role in the ratification of the 19th Amendment, which secured the T right to vote for women nationwide. The drama surrounding the vote in the Tennessee State Capitol that hot August day in 1920 is well known. Lesser known are the stories of those Tennesseans who fought for decades, throughout the state, to advocate for women’s rights. This spring, with the opening of Ratified! Tennessee Women and the Right to Vote, we look back at those individuals to explore the origins of their cause, how Tennessee wound up being its final battleground, and its ramifications in the century that followed. The exhibition will be complemented all year long by a calendar of programming that explores multiple facets of the women’s suffrage movement, from the experience of African American women, to the organization of the anti-suffrage movement, to the role of fashion. Our events calendar at the back of the newsletter includes those events already scheduled for this spring and early summer, but be sure to check our online calendar at TNMuseum.org for newly-added events throughout the year. Elsewhere in this issue, our collection highlight continues our suffrage theme and delves into a letter written by Alice Paul, leader of the National Woman’s Party, to Mary Shaut White of Johnson City, who served on the National DIRECTOR’S NOTE: Earlier this month, Middle Committee of State Chairmen for the Congressional Union. It’s a fascinating look Tennessee experienced into the different factions and approaches to the suffrage movement, and the devastating tornados that debate over whether those dedicated to securing the vote should suspend their took dozens of lives, and efforts and turn their attention toward the nation’s efforts in WWI. Additionally, damaged or destroyed more discover the extraordinary stories behind some of the Museum’s most recent than a thousand homes and artifact acquisitions, including an armoire built by a Swiss immigrant from businesses. Among those Grundy County; a mourning dress dating to the late 1800s made and worn by neighborhoods hit was our a woman from Dekalb County; and a collection of items belonging to a Lincoln own on Jefferson Street, County native who was a highly decorated member of the Fifth U.S. Marine and those that surround us, Regiment, under the 2nd Division, during World War I. including the North Nashville, Germantown, Salemtown and Finally, we just received the news that the American Alliance of Museums Buena Vista neighborhoods. reaccredited the Museum through 2029. Thank you to the thousands of visitors Our hearts are with our who came to visit us in the last year. neighbors and with Tennessee communities rebuilding after the storm. Ashley Howell, Executive Director Tennessee State Museum DIRECTOR’S COLUMN TENNESSEE STATE MUSEUM | SPRING 2020 FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: Abby Crawford Milton Frankie Pierce Willa McCord Blake Eslick Ida B. Wells April 24, 2020 to March 28, 2021 THE STORIES OF TENNESSEANS’ roles within the women’s suffrage movement are at the heart of a new exhibition at the Tennessee State Museum, Ratified! Tennessee Women and the Right to Vote. It opens April 24, 2020, and runs through March 28, 2021. From the state’s beginnings, women found ways to express their political views. In the 1840s, a national women’s suffrage movement began to develop in the North, with the 1848 Seneca Falls Convention – the first women’s rights convention held in the United States – acting as the movement’s launch event. After the Civil War and Reconstruction, Tennessee suffragists took up the cause and spent many years building the movement within the state despite considerable opposition. 1 FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: Flossie B. Jackson Febb Burn Emmeline Pankhurst On May 19, 1916, The States-Graphic McKenzie that newspaper in Brownsville declared: included “a “The sentiment for suffrage for women column of young is gaining ground in Tennessee boys and girls afoot, faster than in any other southern waving balloons and state ... the women themselves banners…” Across the state in cities, towns, and rural communities, women When Tennessee women like Abby Crawford Milton go after anything they of Chattanooga, Juno Frankie ” ” Pierce of Nashville, and Lillian generally get it, and it is Perrine Davis of Lexington only a question of time till worked to further the cause, they gain this victory. despite much opposition. Tennessee women from many ” different backgrounds and are becoming very active through perspectives supported suffrage. their various organizations. When The exhibition explores the Tennessee women go after anything contradictions of a movement seeking they generally get it, and it is only votes for women in the contexts a question of time till they gain this of racial segregation and efforts to victory.” Through years of difficult disenfranchise African American men. work amid much ridicule and public Many African American women active disapproval, Tennessee suffragists in church and community groups worked to convince their neighbors supported suffrage, but often white and elected officials that women suffragists failed to accept them as deserved the vote. full partners in the movement. In Nashville, African American and white Ratified! highlights the stories of women joined together in political women involved in the suffrage activism in a manner exceptional movement throughout the state. for the South during this era. Visitors will learn about the activities Although suffrage leader Catherine of the Maryville College Equal Suffrage Kenny’s perspectives were definitely Club, the Tullahoma Equal Suffrage influenced by the racial views of her League, and a suffrage parade in time, she included African American 2 TENNESSEE STATE MUSEUM | SPRING 2020 FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: Carrie Chapman Catt Josie Wagoner Sojourner Truth women like Juno Frankie Pierce in political campaigns stated: “We are asking in Nashville during 1919. She only one thing—a wrote in her History of Woman square deal….We Suffrage that African American want a state vocational women “organized under school and a child According the direction of the suffrage welfare department to this, the association, had their own city of the state, and more Tennessee and ward chairmen and worked room in state schools.” legislators in with an intelligence, loyalty and 1920 could not dignity that made new friends The centerpiece of vote on ratifying for their race and for woman the exhibit is an area the amendment. suffrage.” She predicted that focused on the heated The U.S. Supreme Court ruled “with a little patience, trust conflict over the ratification that state imposed limitations and vision the universal tie of of the 19th Amendment. like this on the ratification motherhood and sisterhood can Visitors will learn about the process were unconstitutional. and will overcome the prejudice surprising way Tennessee against them as voters.” In May became the decisive state Thirty-five states had ratified 1920, Pierce spoke at the joint in determining whether or the 19th Amendment. One Tennessee Woman Suffrage not the amendment passed more was needed to make the amendment law, and time was running out for women to be Motherhood and sisterhood can and will able to vote in the November overcome the prejudice against them as voters. 1920 presidential election. ” ” ” Under pressure from national ”” leaders like President Woodrow Wilson, Tennessee Governor Association and League of in 1920. A provision in the Albert Roberts agreed to call a Women Voters convention held state’s constitution prohibited special legislative session. at the Tennessee State Capitol legislators from voting on in Nashville. She advocated ratifying an amendment to the Museum guests will discover cooperation between African U.S. Constitution unless the the stories of suffragists who American and white women legislators had been elected traveled throughout the voters to achieve improvements after the amendment was state asking for the support in services for children. Pierce sent by Congress to the states. of their legislators prior to 3 No woman faltered and there was not a VISIT OUR legislator ” ” who had not been visited by his women constituents before the Legislature met. MUSEUM STORE ” For exclusive Ratified! Tennessee the special session. According to national suffrage Women and the Right to Vote leaders Carrie Chapman Catt and Nettie Rogers posters, T-shirt, sweatshirts, pins, Shuler, “The Southern summer heat was merciless, magnets and more! and many legislators lived in remote villages or on farms miles from any town. Yet the women trailed these legislators, by train, by motor, by wagons and on foot… no woman faltered and there was not a legislator who had not been visited by his women constituents before the Legislature met.” Suffragists struggled to maintain their momentum after the voting began at the State Capitol in Nashville. This historic event brought anti-suffragists from throughout the nation to Tennessee determined to wage a fierce last effort against the amendment. The fate of the19th Amendment came down to a dramatic vote in the deeply divided Tennessee House of Representatives. Harry T. Burn, a representative from McMinn County, provided crucial support. Although legislators voted to ratify, the controversy continued as anti-suffragists tried different strategies to overturn ratification. Tennessee’s historic role as the deciding state in the 19th Amendment battle changed women’s status in American political life. Miranda Fraley Rhodes, Ph.D. Assistant Chief Curator This Exhibition is Supported in Part by Ratified! Tennessee Women and the Right to Vote will be complemented by events throughout the run of the exhibition. Please check calendar of events on our website EVENTS tnmuseum.org for details.