Tag Archives: suffrage centennial

December 14, 2013 · 1:51 pm

Nevada ready for its 2014 suffrage centennial

Nevada’s suffrage centennial officially started on October 31, 2013 and it will continue through 2014. Women’s right to vote was a long process beginning in 1869 when the Nevada State Legislature approved a constitutional amendment allowing women the vote.  The 1871 legislature failed to ratify the amendment as did the subsequent 12 legislatures.

For the next 40 years, women were as politically active as they could be by lobbying their male representatives and in some instances running for various school boards. In 1911, Nevada native Anne Martin, home from recent suffrage activities in Great Britain and Bird Wilson, a lawyer practicing in Goldfield spearheaded the campaign to get Nevada women the vote. Their dedication and hard work paid off when the 1914 legislature ratified the amendment and the voters approved that amendment in a general vote on November 3, 1914.  Women voted in Nevada for the very first time in 1915. Stay up to date with the Nevada Women’s History Project’s web site.

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December 1, 2013 · 5:02 pm

Suffrage celebrants in New Zealand, please move over!

As New Zealand celebrates its 120th anniversary of women voting, the awareness of a contender is putting suffrage centennials on notice. Those in New Zealand’s government take the 120th anniversary seriously with special events and programming. However, the Pacific island of Pitcairn claims the position of the first country granting women the right to vote 175 years ago in 1838. So women’s suffrage fans, take note. It boils down to the definition of “country,” as to which nation holds the distinction of being the first. Pitcairn claims that being a territory of the UK still entitles it to be called a country. And on November 29th they held their suffrage celebration with the men of the island preparing a feast for the women while greetings and best wishes poured in from all over the world. Pitcairn has 19 women and 17 men of voting age. Most of the island’s inhabitants are descendants of sailors who staged a mutiny on a British ship in 1789.

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November 16, 2013 · 2:04 pm

Centennial of suffrage “Better Babies” campaign inspires descendants!

Find out the entire story here.

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September 1, 2013 · 2:50 pm

Centennial year of destruction of Margaret Fuller memorial on Long Island

Margaret FullerOne hundred years ago a huge storm on the Long Island coast destroyed the memorial erected to author, reporter, activist Margaret Fuller. She was an important influence to the suffragists of Elizabeth Cady Stanton’s generations and many women after that.  If there was a film to be made between now and 2020 (the centennial of women voting in the US), it should be about Margaret Fuller. Several excellent books have been published in the last few years to reviews of acclaim. Commentators note that Margaret Fuller’s story has romance, great characters, and all the elements of a good film, as well as having the potential of being a significant contribution to American history. The only problem is that not many people know about Margaret Fuller, and a potential film doesn’t fit the action genre. There are no car crashes, but there is a boat wreck at the end. Margaret not only rubbed elbows with Horace Greeley, Thoreau, Hawthorne, and Emerson, but they admired her mind and ideas and benefitted from knowing her. Several called her an inspiration.

So the idea of a film is out there circulating around. Anyone taking it on will have an uphill project, and a great film in the end. Another possibility is re-establishing the memorial to Margaret Fuller. A memorial to Margaret was established on the Long Island coastline at the turn of the 20th century, and it was destroyed in a big storm in 1913. So, it’s the centennial of the wrecking of the memorial. Seems like this could go on someone’s “to do” list for the upcoming 2017 New York State suffrage centennial. Raising money for some sort of a memorial would go a long way to bringing Margaret’s story to life if no one steps up to the challenge of a film about Margaret Fuller. And it would be a draw on Long Island for visitors and cultural tourism.

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August 4, 2013 · 4:07 pm

A suffrage centennial, here and there, opens doors!

Suffrage SoapboxWho says a suffrage centennial now and again doesn’t open doors? Not us. The UK is abuzz with news that UK performer Carey Mulligan has put everything aside to negotiate a role in “The Fury,” a feature film about the suffragette movement. It has been kicking around behind the scenes for a few years, and various suffrage centennials have rescued and brought the subject matter to the attention of the media biggies. The Votes for Women centennial, for example, kicked off this year with 100 years observance for Emily Davison with a documentary, plus all sorts of cultural and political events (including an opera). And now, there’s a suffragette sit com, “Up the Women,” that has been signed up for another season. We can’t see these programs, at least for now. But it certainly will stimulate the market when the wave of interest hits our shores. Meanwhile, Norway is having its suffrage centennial. See our coverage. Suffrage centennials are great, and even greater if they’re connected to what’s happening today. The Norwegian conference planned for November fits perfectly.

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July 26, 2013 · 11:56 pm

Norway has suffrage events, great graphics, international conference

Norway centennial celebrationNorway has put considerable time and effort into its centenary of women’s right to vote. The June special programs may be over, but there’s an upcoming international conference in the works, plus excellent materials and graphic representations of the observance. Details of the November conference are still being ironed out, but there’s plenty to look over while we’re waiting for more details. See conference schedule and contact information.

 

 

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July 12, 2013 · 10:28 pm

Suffrage centennial march in the UK in July 2013

Dreadnought South West's show about the great suffrage pilgrimageThe 1913 mass English suffrage march didn’t get the same publicity that the suffragette movement garnered the same year that Emily Davison became a martyr after being trampled by the King’s horse. However, women today are walking and marching in England, following the same route, and celebrating their suffrage history along the way. There are parties and special programs, in addition to the performance of a theatrical piece called “Oxygen.” The story of this 1913 march that ended in a rally with 50,000 people in attendance almost was lost in the shadow of reporting on the more militant wing of the suffrage movement in England. The ways in which this is being played out today is a fascinating study. See #1. #2. Details about the march as it will be passing through Corsham. #1. #2.  Photo from the Guardian coverage.

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