Anti-suffragism

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Anti-suffragists in the US in 1911.
Anti-suffragists in the US in 1911.
A political cartoon in Harper's lampoons the anti-suffrage movement (1907).
A political cartoon in Harper's lampoons the anti-suffrage movement (1907).

Anti-suffragism was a political movement composed mainly of women, begun in the late 19th century in order to campaign against women's suffrage in the United States and Britain. It was closely associated with "domestic feminism", the belief that women had the right to complete freedom within the home. Anti-suffragism was never a very large movement in either country, but its members were loud and often supported by prominent conservative men[citation needed]. The Catholic Encyclopedia, for example, recommended that Catholics support the anti-suffrage movement.[1]

In Britain, the anti-suffragists numbered 160 in 1902.[2] The Women's National Anti-Suffrage League, publisher of the Anti-Suffrage Review, submitted a petition to Parliament in 1907 with 87,500 names, but it was discovered to be fraudulent.[3]

In New York, the New York State Association Opposed to Woman Suffrage was founded in 1897, and by 1908 it had over 90 members.[4] It was active in producing pamphlets and publications explaining their views of women's suffrage, until the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution was passed in 1920. A Geneva branch was founded in 1909.[5] The suffragettes in New York often extended invitations to open discussion with the anti-suffragists.[6]

The New York association had its own magazine, first The Anti-Suffragist published by Mrs. William Winslow Crannell from July 1908 to April 1912, later The Woman's Protest produced by the organization at large.

Interestingly, anti-suffragism was not only limited to conservative elements. The anarchist Emma Goldman opposed suffragism on the grounds that women were more inclined toward legal enforcement of morality (as in the Women's Temperance Leagues), that women were the equals of men and that suffrage would not make a difference. She also said that activists ought to be advocating for revolution rather than for greater privileges within an inherently unjust system.[7] Progressives criticized suffrage in the Utah Territory as a cynical Mormon ploy, resulting in the passage of the Edmunds-Tucker Act.

Contents

[edit] Modern Opposition to Women's Suffrage

The Christian Party wants to have women's suffrage repealed, and claims that it has lead to skyrocketing public spending and that it is turning America into a totalitarian state[8]. They even tell women to sign a proxy statement and send it to the county recorder saying they are giving their vote to a man, even though this wouldn't have any legal force, because you can't give your vote to somebody else, and have a link to a petition for people to sign to repeal the 19th amendment. Senator Kay O'Connor, a Republican state senator in Kansas has said that if the 19th amendment were up for a vote again today she wouldn't support it. She says that it is a sign that society doesn't value the family.[9].

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ Woman, Catholic Encyclopedia, 1912
  2. ^ Loss of Woman's Aid Is America's Waste, newspaper clipping, 13 March 1902
  3. ^ Elizabeth Robins, Way Stations (1913), p. 37
  4. ^ New York State Association Opposed to Woman Suffrage Thirteenth Annual Report, 1908
  5. ^ Against Suffrage, newspaper clipping, 1909
  6. ^ Mrs. Mackay's Campaign, newspaper clipping, 25 January 1910
  7. ^ Emma Goldman. "Woman Suffrage". Anarchism and Other Essays, 1911.
  8. ^ Christian Party, Petition to Repeal the 19th Amendment.
  9. ^ Manzano, Angie, Manzano, Cad, United States: Woman Senator against women's suffrage. BNET November 2001

[edit] Further reading