Pickets and Persistence

Seven years ago I visited Paulsdale, the home of Alice Paul. Alice Paul was a pioneer in the fight for the Equal Rights Amendment, which still has not passed. This New Jersey heroine pushed hard for women to get the right to vote. Another heroine in the fight for women's rights was Jeannette Rankin. Who was Jeannette Rankin, you ask? In 1917 she became America's first female member of Congress. Some of my history buff readers will say "but, wait, how did that happen since women did not get the right to vote until 1920?" NATIONALLY we did not get the right to vote until 1917, but some states allowed it sooner. New Jersey was the earliest state to allow women to vote, but they took it away. Some women in New Jersey voted as early as 1776, but in the 1790s and 1800s, large numbers of unmarried New Jersey women regularly participated in elections and spoke out on political issues. That changed in 1807 when our New Jersey constitution was changed (source: National Park Service's website)

Historian and author Carol Simon Levin told us many interesting facts about Jeannette Rankin and the women's rights movement. Rankin was from Montana. The year she ran her state was growing and they suddenly had two seats in Congress instead of one. Today they are back to one. Districts had not yet been drawn up so she ran on the platform of "vote for the incumbent and also vote for me." Using that logic, she beat the other men running for that seat. 

A life long pacifist, her first order of business was to vote whether or not to enter World War I. She voted against it (she wasn't the only one). A quick history, she lost her reelection bid because by then she was running for Senate (and was rather outspoken about women having the right to vote). She did not win a congressional seat again until 1941. Okay, history buffs -- what big issue did she have to vote on then? .... Whether or not the United States should enter World War II. She cast the only no vote that time, and again was not reelected.

A famous quote attributed to her: "I may be the first woman member of Congress," she observed upon her election in 1916. "But I won't be the last." (also on her Congressional the page linked above)

Carol shares the history of many other famous women: Abigail Adams, Juliette Lowe (founder of the Girl Scouts), and Emily Roebling. She is author of the coloring book "Remembering the Ladies." Yes, it is a black and white book with large pictures, but it is so much more. Every other page has a biography of why each woman is important to American history. She was writing it during the election and hoped the subtitle would be: From Patriots in Petticoats to Presidents, instead the last word was changed to Presidential Candidates.

If you ever have the chance to catch Carol's presentations, I highly recommend it. I've also seen her as Emily Roebling.

The event was only $5. It felt good to support the arts.