The History of Woman Suffrage, Volume Iv is a public-domain classic of politics by Ida Husted Harper.
The complete text is on this page and the chapter pages below — all 140 chapters, about 498,015 words (~42 hours of reading), free to read online with no signup. Chapters include “CHAPTER I.. Woman's Constitutional Right to Vote 1-13”, “CHAPTER II.. The National Suffrage Convention of 1884 14-30”, “CHAPTER III.. Congressional Hearings and Reports of 1884 31-55”, and more.
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WOMAN'S CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT TO VOTE 1-13
Early State constitutions provided against Woman Suffrage -- First demand for it -- Women after the Civil War -- "Male" first used in National Constitution -- Fourteenth Amendment -- Endeavor to make it include women -- They attempt to vote -- Susan B. Anthony's trial -- Case of Virginia L. Minor -- Supreme Court decisions -- Suffrage as a right -- Arguments for the Federal Franchise -- National Association decides to try only for new Amendment -- Hearings before Congressional Committees -- Reports of these committees -- Debate in Congress.
THE NATIONAL SUFFRAGE CONVENTION OF 1884 14-30
Forming of National Association in 1869 -- Washington selected for annual conventions -- Call for that of '84 -- Extracts from speeches on Kentucky Laws for Women -- Woman before the Law -- Outrage of Disfranchisement -- Ethics of Woman Suffrage -- England vs. the United States -- Bishop Matthew Simpson in Favor of Woman's Enfranchisement -- Resolutions and Plan of Work -- Memorial to Wendell Phillips -- Miss Anthony on Disfranchisement a Disgrace -- Matilda Joslyn Gage on The Feminine in the Sciences.
CONGRESSIONAL HEARINGS AND REPORTS OF 1884 31-55
Debate in the House on a Special Woman Suffrage Committee -- Extracts from speeches of John H. Reagan on Awful Effects of Woman Suffrage -- James B. Belford on Woman's Right to a Special Committee -- J. Warren Keifer on Justice of the Enfranchisement of Women -- John D. White on Woman's Right to be Heard -- Hearing before Senate Committee -- Interdependence of Men and Women -- Woman Suffrage a Paramount Question -- A Right does not Depend on a Majority's Asking for It -- Woman's Ballot for the Good of the Race -- Preponderance of Foreign Vote -- Miss Anthony on Action by Congress vs. Action by Legislatures -- Elizabeth Cady Stanton on Self-Government the Best Means of Self-Development; moral need of woman's ballot, men as natural protectors, inherent right of self-representation -- Favorable Senate Report -- Adverse House Report by William C. Maybury -- Editorial comment -- Luke P. Poland on Men Should Represent Women -- Strong Report in Favor by Thomas B. Reed, Ezra B. Taylor, Moses A. McCoid, Thomas M. Browne.
THE NATIONAL SUFFRAGE CONVENTION OF 1885 56-69
Startling descriptions of delegates' attire -- Mrs. Stanton on Separate Spheres an Impossibility -- Discussion on resolution denouncing Religious Dogmas -- Criticism by ministers -- Great speech in favor of Woman Suffrage in the U. S. Senate by Thomas W. Palmer; action by Congress a necessity, Scriptures not opposed to the equality of woman, figures of women's vote, State needs woman's ballot.
THE NATIONAL SUFFRAGE CONVENTION OF 1886 70-84
Relation of the Woman Suffrage Movement to the Labor Question -- Take Down the Barriers -- German and American Independence Contrasted -- Resolution condemning Creeds and Dogmas again discussed -- Woman's Right to Vote under Fourteenth Amendment -- Disfranchisement Cuts Women's Wages -- One-half No Right to a Vote on Liberties of Other Half -- Woman Suffrage Necessary for Life of Republic -- America lags behind in granting political rights to women -- Minority House Report in favor of a Sixteenth Amendment by Ezra B. Taylor, W. P. Hepburn, Lucian B. Caswell, A. A. Ranney; men hold franchise by force, women require it for development, history of woman one of wrong and outrage, Government needs woman's vote, no excuse for waiting till majority demand it.
FIRST DISCUSSION AND VOTE IN U. S. SENATE, 1887 85-111
Joint Resolution for Sixteenth Amendment extending Right of Suffrage to Women -- Able speech of Henry W. Blair; Government founded on equality of rights, no connection between the vote and ability to fight, property qualification an invasion of natural right, man's deification of woman a shallow pretense, no such thing as household suffrage here, maternity qualifies woman to vote, fear of family dissension not a valid excuse -- Joseph E. Brown replies; Creator intended spheres of men and women to be different, man qualified by physical strength to vote, caucuses and jury duty too laborious for women, they are queens, princesses and angels, they would neglect their families to go into politics, the delicate and refined would feel compelled to vote, only the vulgar and ignorant would go to the polls, ballot would not help workingwomen, husbands would compel wives to vote as they dictated -- Editorial comment -- Joseph N. Dolph supports the Resolution; if but one woman wants the suffrage it is tyranny to refuse it, neither in nature nor revealed will of God is there anything to forbid, contest for woman suffrage a struggle for human liberty, its benefits where exercised -- James B. Eustis objects -- George G. Vest depicts the terrible dangers, negro women all would vote Republican ticket, husband does not wish to go home to embrace of female ward politician, women too emotional to vote, suffrage not a right, we must not unsex our mothers and wives -- Editorial comment -- George F. Hoar defends woman suffrage; arguments against it are against popular government, Senators Brown and Vest have furnished only gush and emotion -- Senator Blair closes debate with an appeal that women may carry their case to the various Legislatures -- Vote on submitting an Amendment, 16 yeas, 34 nays.
THE NATIONAL SUFFRAGE CONVENTION OF 1887 112-123
Bishop John P. Newman favors Woman Suffrage -- Mrs. Stanton's sarcastic comments on the speeches of Senators Brown and Vest -- Lillie Devereux Blake's satire on the Rights of Men -- Isabella Beecher Hooker on the Constitutional Rights of Women -- Woman of the Present and Past -- Delegate Joseph M. Carey on Woman Suffrage in Wyoming -- Authority of Congress to Enfranchise Women -- Zerelda G. Wallace on Woman's Ballot a Necessity for the Permanence of Free Institutions; the lack of morality in Government has caused the downfall of nations -- Resolutions -- U. S. Treasurer Spinner first to employ women in a Government department.
INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL OF WOMEN -- HEARING OF 1888 124-142
Origin of the Council -- Call issued by National Suffrage Association -- Official statistics of this great meeting -- Eloquent sermon of the Rev. Anna Howard Shaw on the Heavenly Vision; release of woman from bondage of centuries, crucifixion of reformers, the visions of all ages -- Miss Anthony opens the Council -- Mrs. Stanton's address; psalms of women's lives in a minor key, sympathy as a civil agent powerless until coined into law, women have been mere echoes of men -- Council demands all employments shall be open to women, equal pay for equal work, a single standard of morality -- Forming of permanent National and International Councils -- Convention of Suffrage Association -- Mrs. Stanton expounds National Constitution to Senate Committee and shows the violation of its provisions in their application to women -- Mrs. Ormiston Chant makes address -- Also Julia Ward Howe -- Frances E. Willard pleads for enfranchisement.
THE NATIONAL SUFFRAGE CONVENTION OF 1889 143-157
Official Call shows non-partisan character of the demand for Woman Suffrage -- Senator Blair makes clear presentation of woman's right to vote for Representatives in Congress under the Federal Constitution -- Mrs. Stanton ridicules women for passing votes of thanks to men for restoring various minor privileges which they had usurped -- Hebrew Scriptures not alone the root of woman's subjection -- Representative William D. Kelley speaks -- Foreign and Catholic vote contrasted with American and Protestant -- The Position of Woman in Marriage -- Miss Anthony on Woman's Attempt to Vote under the Fourteenth Amendment -- The Coming Sex -- Woman's Bill of Rights -- Favorable report from Committee, Senators Blair, Charles B. Farwell, Jonathan Chace, Edward O. Wolcott.
NATIONAL-AMERICAN CONVENTION OF 1890 158-174
Mrs. Stanton addresses Senate Committee; the South has not treated negro men more unjustly than the North has treated all women, women never can fully respect themselves or be respected while degraded legally and politically, Queen Victoria contrasted with American women who do not wish to vote -- Zebulon B. Vance questions Mrs. Stanton and Miss Anthony -- Committee reports in favor -- Celebration of Miss Anthony's Seventieth Birthday -- First convention of the two united associations -- Striking resolutions -- Address of Wm. Dudley Foulke; fundamental right of self-government, equal rights never conceded to women, a just man accords to every other human being the rights he claims for himself, if one woman insists upon the franchise the justice of America can not afford to deny it -- Miss Anthony demands free platform -- Chivalry of Reform -- Mrs. Wallace on A Whole Humanity; woman is teacher, character-builder, soul-life of the race, not a question of woman's rights but of human rights -- Washington Star's tribute to Miss Anthony.
NATIONAL-AMERICAN CONVENTION OF 1891 175-184
Triennial meeting of National Council -- Hail to Wyoming! -- Mrs. Stanton on the Degradation of Disfranchisement; women suffer from the disgrace just as men would, State, Church and Society uphold their subordination, all must be brought into harmony with the idea of equality -- Lucy Stone speaks -- The Rev. Frederick A. Hinckley on Husband and Wife are One; together they must establish justice, temperance and purity -- U. S. Senator Carey tells of the admission of Wyoming, first State with full suffrage for women; tribute to their influence in government -- The Rev. Miss Shaw describes recent campaign in South Dakota, Indians given preference over women.
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