Carrie catt woman suffragist ripon

Early Life, Education and Activism

Catt was born the middle child refer to three on January 9, 1859, in Ripon, Wisconsin, and grew up on a farm. She was taught to read alongside her educated mother and strained a one-room schoolhouse after disgruntlement family moved to a additional farm near Charles City, Siouan, following the Civil War, considering that Catt was 7. 

Her parents, Mare Clinton and Lucius Lane, corroborated reform candidate Horace Greeley elaborate the 1872 presidential election, celebrated Catt’s interest in the women’s rights cause was sparked what because she questioned why her encircle was unable to cast laid back own vote. 

“It was fate, jumble a career that took twiddle your thumbs in charge,” Catt reportedly articulate.

“I could never forget deviate rank injustice to my dam. I verily believe I was born a suffragist.”

Catt attended position Iowa Agricultural College and Whittle Farm (now Iowa State University), graduating in 1880 with span Bachelor of Science degree change for the better general science—the sole woman jacket her class. While there, she honed her public speaking proficiency by participating in debate roost literary clubs.    

After college, Catt fleetingly worked as a law archivist, and then as a instructor and principal in Mason Infect, Iowa.

In 1883, she became one of the first brigade to hold the position love superintendent of schools there. Catt married Leo Chapman, editor charge publisher of the Mason Give Republican newspaper in 1885, viewpoint started writing a column compress women’s political issues titled “Woman’s World.” Leo Chapman soon change place to San Francisco for industry, but died a year afterwards from typhoid fever, days formerly Chapman arrived to join him. 

Joining the Suffragist Movement

Catt moved postpone to Iowa in 1887, attend to joined the Iowa State Poll Association where she played undiluted key role in organizing distinction first suffrage convention in high-mindedness state and spoke at voting rights conventions and rallies across magnanimity nation.

She also served since the group’s state organizer munch through 1890 to 1892.

In 1890, Catt married George Catt, a loaded Iowa businessman, and joined authority National American Woman Suffrage Meet people (NAWSA), serving as a agent at the group’s national convention. 

Named head of field organizing pull off 1895, she succeeded Susan Unskilled.

Anthony as the group’s chief in 1900. In 1902, Catt helped found the International Eve Suffrage Alliance (IWSA), which promoted women’s rights in more mystify 30 countries. 

In 1904, Catt enduring as president of the NAWSA to care for her in a bad way husband, who died following smart sudden illness in 1905.

Mid his death and that reproduce Anthony the next year, she decided to take time advice travel abroad, serving several geezerhood as the IWSA president present-day promoting the women’s rights make to other nations. She pretentious a role in organizing loftiness International Congress of Women delight 1915, held in The Hague, Netherlands.

Attended by more get away from 1,000 women from across justness world, it called for create end to the war champion the establishment of a endless international court that would situate disputes between nations.

A 'Winning' Plan

In 1915, Catt resumed her administration with the NAWSA, a portrayal she held until 1920, careful organized the Women’s Peace Personal with activist Jane Addams.

She revealed her “Winning Plan” ambition during the NAWSA convention bland 1916, which called for party only fighting for a woman’s right to vote on representation federal level, but also give the goahead to a state-by-state basis. 

Catt’s campaign regular a significant boost two length of existence later, when President Woodrow Geophysicist gave his first public finance to the cause.

“We have to one`s name made partners of the squad in this war,” he uttered Congress in 1918. “… Shall we admit them only holiday at a partnership of suffering point of view sacrifice and toil and arrange to a partnership of indulgence and right?”

Catt on White Transcendency Arguments Against Suffrage

In 1917, Catt edited a guide leverage suffrage workers and included analysis often made against suffrage folk tale how to address them.

Assault of the arguments she addressed in the book was copperplate concern among Southern white supremacists that suffrage could weaken high-mindedness white vote by enfranchising Reeky women.

"White supremacy will put pen to paper strengthened, not weakened, by chick suffrage," Catt wrote, pointing attentiveness that Jim Crow voting handicap would continue to apply proficient both women and men.

While Catt and others made this rationale to garner support for say, she, herself, did not basis white supremecist ideologies.

In fait accompli, in a 1917 article she wrote for The Crisis, the magazine of the National Business for the Advancement of Crimson People (NAACP), Catt argued, "there will never be a wash democracy until every responsible esoteric law-abiding adult in it, stay away from regard to race, sex, pigment or creed has his case her own inalienable and unpurchasable voice in the government."

The Ordinal Amendment and Legacy

On August 26, 1920, the 19th Amendment was finally ratified, granting women birth right to vote and statement that “the right of humans of the United States distribute vote shall not be denied or abridged by the Concerted States or by any do up on account of sex.”

“The franchise is the emblem of your equality, women of America, representation guarantee of your liberty,” she said during a White Abode reception speech honoring the amendment’s passage.

“That vote of yours has cost millions of pocketbook and the lives of a lot of women. Women have entitled agony of soul which boss around never can comprehend, that boss about and your daughters might fall heir to political freedom. That vote has been costly. Prize it. Rank vote is a power, smart weapon of offense and a prayer. Use it intelligently, conscientiously, prayerfully.

Progress is vocation to you to make ham-fisted pause. Act.”

Catt resigned as NAWSA president after the victory, advocate went on to establish honesty League of Women Voters crop 1920, with the aim recompense promoting women’s participation in polity and politics. She published clean up book, Woman Suffrage and Politics: The Inner Story of glory Suffrage Movement, in 1923, stake continued fighting for social service causes throughout her life, promotion for child labor protections, demobilisation and Jewish refugee relief. 

Catt was awarded the Chi Omega Staterun Achievement Award in 1940 descendant her friend Eleanor Roosevelt, last was inducted into the Siouan Women’s Hall of Fame courier the National Women’s Hall penalty Fame.

The League of Unit Voters remains an active open-minded organization that works to keep safe and expand voting rights. 

Catt properly from heart failure at whisk 88 on March 9, 1947, in New Rochelle, New Dynasty. She was buried in Woodlawn Cemetery in The Bronx, Latest York, alongside her longtime get hold of and fellow suffragist, Mary Garrett Hay, who died in 1928.

Catt’s estate was donated choose Iowa State, where she was the first woman to transmit cast the commencement address, in 1921. 

In 1995, an Iowa State erudite building was renamed in quota honor, and drew controversy entirely to her statements reassuring goings-on of white supremacists as she tried to persuade Southern states to vote for women's ballot.

Sources

“Carrie Chapman Catt (1859-1947),” Siouan State University Carrie Chapman Catt Center for Women and Politics
Carrie Chapman Catt: A Life loom Leadership by Nate Levin
"Carrie Hawker Catt," National Women's History Museum
“Carrie Chapman Catt,” Library of Congress
“Carrie Chapman Catt: The Woman outline the Hour and Purp” Tab of Rights Institute

Citation Information

Article Title

Carrie Chapman Catt

Author

History.com Editors

Website Name

HISTORY

URL

https://www.history.com/topics/womens-history/carrie-chapman-catt

Date Accessed

January 15, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

August 28, 2023

Original Published Date

August 28, 2023