Has Ratification Been Easy?
The Suffragist, Ratification of 19th amendment, politics
his is an article in The Suffragist in February of 1920, titled “Has Ratification Been Easy?” by Elizabeth Green Kalb. She talks about the difficulties of the ratification process and the oppositions women were forced to overcome. she goes in detail of the first month after the passage of the amendment by Congress. She emphasis on the difficulties of the south, east and west. Every state ratification (with the exception of four) meant a long and difficult campaign against either the governor, the legislature or both. She states that the halfway mark has passed and how the long road of difficulties have just started, but the ratification was on it’s way. This played a role in the politics group paper that emphasized on the difficulties of the ratification and the major role the last state had in the ratification as well.
<em>The Suffragist</em>
The University of Memphis Libraries
February 1920
Kalb, Elizabeth Green
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"They Say"
Politics, Tennessee, Vermont, 19th amendment
The drawing, "They Say" was published in 1920, in <em>The Suffragist.</em> The drawing illustrates a donkey holding a sign that says Tennesse and an elephant holding a sign that says Vermont. A woman in front of the two is wearing a suffrage sash and is holding a trophy that is that represents the 19th amendment. Tennessee has a sign that says "Dear lady walk upon this" and Vermont has a sign that says, "My fair lady, I implore you to cross to victory upon my rainment." I chose this drawing because it illustrates how Tennessee became the 36th state to ratify the amendment and how the legislature of Vermont wanted to become the 36th state that made the amendment pass. But the Governor Clement of Vermont did not allow them to have a Special Session. Which led President Wilson to try to convince Tennessee to have a Special Session, which they did and led Tennessee to becoming the 36th state and became the state that finalized the amendment.
<em>The Suffragist</em>
<em>The Suffragist</em>. Periodicals. July 1920 "They Say"
University of Memphis Libraries.
July 1920
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"Tennessee, 36th!"
politics, Tennessee, 19th amendment,
"Tennessee--The 36th!" is a article from <em>The Suffragist</em> that was written in September 1920. The article talks about the week's of suspense that gave the final vote for ratification on August 18th. the article mentions Tennessee's intensive state wide campaign under the direction of Miss Sue White, who was the chairman and concentrated their efforts in Nashville. Before Miss White left Washington to head to Nashville, she polled the legislature in both Houses of the legislature for ratificaiton. The members of legislature were convinced that Special Sessions was legal and was ready to vote. However, when the Special Session came alot of the members of legislature changed their mind on their vote for the amendment due to pressure from anti-suffragist. The article goes in detail who changed their mind and who stood firm and resulted in a 48-48 tie. The Speaker of House called the measure to a ratification vote (recall vote) and that Burn stood up and voted in favor of the amendment (based on the letter he recieved from his mother the morning of) which ultimatley made Tennessee pass the ratificaiton and Tennessee became the necessary 36th state to ratify the nineteenth amendment, and winning the women the right to vote.U.S. Secretary of State, Colby Bainbridge certified the results on 28 August 1920.
<em>The Suffragist</em>
<em>The Suffragist</em>. Periodicals. September 1920 "Tennessee--36th!"
The University of Memphis Libraries.
September 1920
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"Special Session in Tennessee"
Special Session, Tennessee, 19th amendment, Woodrow Wilson, Albert H. Roberts, William L. Fierson
This article is in <em>The Suffragist,</em> that consist of letters/telegrams from President Wilson to Governor Albert H. Roberts of Tennessee appealing for a special ratification session. Govenor Roberts stated that he owuld comply with President Wilson, in support of the amendment and that a session will be called. the article also has a letter President Woodrow Wilson wrote to acting attorney general William L. Frierson, asking his opinion on the constatutionality of ratification by a special session of Tennessee Legislature. Attorney General responded quickly and stated, "After the Ohio case, this leaves no doubt in my mind taht Tennessee Legislature if called in session, will have the clear power to ratify the amendment not withstanding any provision of the Tennessee Constitution." I chose this article, with these letters because it shows proof of the complication of the state of Tennessee consitution and the Federal constitution. This article also shows the major role President Wilson had in the women's suffrage movement, involving the 19th amendment. He constantly was fighting for their rights and doing everything in his power to help.
<em>The Suffragist</em>
Wilson, Woodrow
Roberts, Albert H.
Frierson, William L.
<em>The Suffragist. </em>June 1920 "Special Session in Tennessee"
The University of Memphis Libraries
June 1920
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Memphis Woman is First Nun to Run for Congress
Religion, Memphis, Congress, Nun, Guthrie, Mary Anne
In this newspaper article created by Anita Marie Lapham, Sister Mary Anne Guthrie talks about her decision to run or Congress and her past experiences as an activist and a nurse. The 8th district seat is being fought for by two women and four men. Sister Mary Anne starts off talking about how she has worked with poor, uneducated people for a long time, as well as the economically secure educated. With such experience, she feels as though the dignity of all human beings should be reserved at all times. Just as socioeconomic status should not define or deter people, Sister Mary Anne feels the same goes for sex. She has pushed for the equality and integration of women in many aspects of society. She goes on to say another deciding factor in her running for Congress was when her bishop said Guthrie could not become a bishop herself, and she may as well go to Washington. <br /><br />Sister Mary Anne first decided to enter the politics realm in the 1960s when she successfully set up a hospital in Spalding, Nebraska for the elderly. She wanted to run For Mayor because the current politicians were no good for the community. Once the Vatican II documents were released. Guthrie chose to go to Appalachia to serve the poor. Once Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated, Guthrie returned to Memphis to work as a supervisor for Memphis’ John Gaston Hospital. She also worked as an integral part of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital’s nutrition program for the poor known as Memphis Area Project South. She found herself going to Memphis Light, Gas and Water to tell them not to turn off utilities for poorer people.
Anita Lapham, the Herald-Tribune
MSS 475, Box 370B, Folder 3
The University of Memphis Libraries
July 21, 1974
Lapham, Anita
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"The Woman's Question", Elizabeth Avery Merriwether in the Memphis Appeal
education, wage equality
This document is a part of a series of letters in which readers of the Appeal wrote in with their opinions about “ The Woman’s Question”, in which the discussion ranged from wage equality (which was the issue that sparked the public debate), what was appropriate work for women, and women’s competency in education and their biological intellectual capacity. Meriwether responded to a “Serratus M.” who wrote into the Appeal stating his opinion that women are not competent teachers in comparison with male teachers and therefore do not deserve equal pay. Meriwether’s counterargument is that women are just as intellectually capable as men. Merriwether used humor in her response to "S.M" and attacked his incorrect use of grammar in his earlier letters to the Appeal and brings attention to the reader that " Yet, if this delightful writer were a teacher, he would expect to be paid one-third more than any woman..." Merriwther's involvement in "The Woman's Question" came about at a time when more women were entering the workforce during the Reconstruction era in the south. Women were looking for more long term employment after the Civil War, as many recognized the need for financial independence. This document represents some of the first stirrings for gender equality.
Appeal Newspaper, Elizabeth Avery Merriwether
Library of Congress, Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers
Library of Congress
March 26, 1873
Memphis daily appeal. (Memphis, Tenn.), 26 March 1873. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83045160/1873-03-26/ed-1/seq-4/>.
Cohabitation Bill
Politics
The following article is about the displeasure Lois DeBerry and two other female legislators faced against a bill ending alimony payments to a person if they resided or cohabitated with a person of the opposite sex for 90 days or more. The female representatives were railroaded by representative Ira Murphy. Rep. Gaia was planning on proposing an amendment to the bill but Murphy called for an end of debates and the bill was passed. Murphy rushed the decision because Sen. White was having doubts about the proposed bill which would have hindered the passing of the bill. The reason that DeBerry and the other women stood against the bill because the language was not clear. There was not enough clarity about residing and cohabiting or the amount of time that these events should happen. DeBerry’s lack of support for the bill shows that she supported motions that supported women instead of debilitating them.
Balentine, Jim
Mississippi Valley Collection
The University of Memphis Libraries
February 29, 1980
Memphis Press-Scimitar
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rights reserved.
Hist4851, Spring 2015
November 15, 1944 Letter to Merrill Dan
letters, censorship
This is a PDF of a letter from the Special Collections section of the University of Memphis Library. Hope Bespalow, a student at the University of Wisconsin, writes a letter to Merrill Dan, a lieutenant in the United States army. They were both natives of Memphis, Tennessee. The letter is handwritten and written on November 15, 1944. It is written on white paper and in cursive. Hope writes mostly on the subject of the time delay of Merrill’s letters getting to her and her own letters getting to Merrill. She spends a large portion of the letter telling of her aggravation with the delay of delivery.
Bespalow, Hope
Hope and Merrill Dan Papers Box 2, Folder 46 MSS 274
The University of Memphis Libraries
November 15, 1944
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