Today in Herstory: All Suffrage Sights Are Set to New York
Today in Herstory: All Suffrage Sights Are Set to New York
Carrie Chapman Catt, up front and near the center, and Rev. Anna Howard Shaw, in cap and gown on the left, lead at least 20,000 marchers in a suffrage parade down Fifth Avenue a week ago.
November 3, 1917: It’s hard to believe that it was just two years ago yesterday that the suffrage movement endured its worst setback, because its biggest victory may be just three
days away! But twenty-four months of constant campaigning, unprecedented political organizing – and U.S. entry into the war – have changed everything. But the biggest difference is that this year all efforts are focused on New York, as opposed to 1915 when suffrage forces had to simultaneously run what turned out to be unsuccessful campaigns in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts.
In 1915 there was a major controversy over the claim that “a million New York women want the vote.” This year there could be no doubt, because petitions containing the names of 1,035,000 voting-age women who live in this State were prominently displayed in the massive suffrage parade on October 27th.
Though there was certainly some political organizing last time, this year’s campaign by the New York City branch of the Woman Suffrage Party, under the leadership of Mary Garrett Hay, put together a political machine that rivals Tammany Hall, with over 2,000 women precinct captains in New York City. Suffrage groups have distributed 18 million leaflets Statewide – house to house, dropped from the air, given out at fair booths, and on the street at open-air meetings. Speeches have been made in the largest as well as the smallest forums and posters urging a “yes” vote are tacked up on every available space.
No town in the State could hold a parade this year without there being at least one suffrage float promoting the cause, and a week ago in New York City at least 20,000 marched for suffrage down Fifth Avenue. They were accompanied by 40 bands in a parade that took 3 hours to pass. Outside of the city, 80 full-time organizers have been spread out around the State, and have held about 11,000 meetings from Albany, Syracuse, Rochester and Buffalo to the smallest hamlets, with no military camp or church in the State overlooked as a potential speaking engagement.
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http://feminist.org/blog/index.php/2014/11/03/today-in-herstory-all-suffrage-sights-are-set-to-new-york/