Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Women of Wednesday--Suffragettes

In August we marked the 90th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution:
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.

Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.

Here are photos from the Library of Congress collection that will illustrate the suffragettes' journey:


America's first Suffragette parade, New York, February 1905. Where are the women?
http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2001704310/


The suffragettes did a LOT of parading. As time went by, there was no doubting who was doing the parading!


http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2001704194/



New York circa 1916.
http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2001704196/



April 5, 1917.
http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2001704305/


There was "grunt" work involved--always the women behind the scenes keeping the movement going:


Between 1910 and 1915.
http://www.loc.gov/pictures/resource/ggbain.10578/


1920.
http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/npc2007002236/


A LOT of politicking:


http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/npc2008008747/



June 1917.
http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/npc2008008708/



Between 1910 and 1915. PLEASE NOTE: One of their goals was equal pay for equal work. Here we are, nearly 100 years later, and women only earn 80 cents for every dollar earned by men.
http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/ggb2005013711/


Some of it wasn't pretty:


1919. Yes, suffragettes were imprisoned.
http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/hec2008008524/


And some of it looks like it was fun!


Alice Burke and Nell Richardson in the "Golden Flyer" in which they embarked on a cross-country trip. April 7, 1916.
http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2001704319/


But this photo says it all:


August 30, 1913.
http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2001704190/


We ALL need to work together for social justice! That's as true today as it was 90 years ago.

--Diane

4 comments:

Mur said...

Very cool, Diane and just in time to remember that lots of state primaries are coming up.

Unknown said...

GREAT PHOTOS...MY GREAT GRANDMOTHER IS ALICE ARMSTRONG BURKE !
SO PROUD

Diane said...

Thanks for writing Bonney. Do you have a collection of your great grandmother's suffragette activity? From her picture she looks like a strong woman with a great sense of humor!

Anonymous said...

Hi Diane,

Could you please contact me about "suffragettes" at pierre-antoine.trossat@gettyimages.com
Thank you very much!
Pierre