Women's suffrage in Pennsylvania
Early efforts moved slowly, but steadily, with suffragists raising awareness and winning endorsements from labor unions.
It included suffragists from around the country, the publication of The Suffrage Cookbook, the casting of a "Justice Bell," and major car parades.
The Justice Bell, as well as many suffragists accompanying it, visited every county in Pennsylvania and traveled 3,935 miles on the back of a truck.
[7] Three years later, the Pennsylvania Woman Suffrage Association (PWSA) was formed in Philadelphia, with Mary Grew serving as president.
[8][9] During the first organizational meeting of the group in 1869, they discussed the oppressive nature of taxation without representation, and how women would "purify the political arena" if they could vote.
[11] During the meeting the group announced that PWSA would be affiliating with the American Woman Suffrage Association (AWSA) which had recently been organized.
[14][15] Susan B. Anthony and the National Woman Suffrage Association set up headquarters in Philadelphia on Chestnut Street in May 1875.
[16] Suffragists were undeterred, and "swarmed the event" where they read from the "Declaration and Protest of the Women of the United States" and distributed copies of the document among the huge crowd.
[16][17][15] Matilda Hindman went to the state legislature to lobby for a removal of the word "male" to describe voters in Pennsylvania.
[18] This was done to show that women represented a significant percentage of people who paid taxes without representation in the state.
[25] The women included Lidie C. W. Koethen, Minora Florence Phillis, Margaret Negley, Mary Lashley, and Kate C. McKnight, who was an incumbent.
[26] PWSA also lobbied and convinced the Pennsylvania State Legislature to conduct women's suffrage hearings in 1911.
[31] One key aspect of the Pittsburgh Plan was recognition of the need to train suffragists how to do effective public speaking and lobbying.
[35] Suffragists in Pennsylvania wanted to see a women's suffrage amendment go out to vote in 1915, which meant that measures needed to pass in the state legislature two consecutive sessions in a row.
[36] Roessing began to lobby the political boss, Senator Boies Penrose, on women's suffrage in 1913.
[40] Patterson, Roessing, and Mrs. Maxwell Chapman, the president of the Scranton suffrage group, brought McDonald to Senator McNichol's desk where he gave the union's endorsement and "'advised' him to vote for the enabling act.
[40] At the meeting, Roessing told the suffragists that the budget would be significantly increased in order to accommodate the upcoming campaign in 1915.
[40] Philanthropist, Elizabeth Dohrman Thaw, pledged $10,000 and the Pittsburgh Equal Franchise Federation (PEFF) promised $5,000.
[44] Allegheny County ran a tight campaign that sent weekly suffrage bulletins and cartoons to local papers.
[46] Katharine Wentworth Ruschenberger, collaborating with the PWSA, bought a "Justice Bell" that would not ring until women won the vote.
[49] On July 5, Roessing drove the Justice Bell truck to Schenley Park where a rally was taking place for Americanization Day and she and other suffragists "crashed" the event.
[51] Children, professionals, immigrants, and grandmothers participated and demanded the right for women to vote in Schenley Park.
[57] The state suffrage mascot, a toy fox terrier, Miss Mulford, rode with the Justice Bell.
[58] PWSA in response set aside funds to fight voter fraud and attempts to discredit the suffrage movement.
[59] One bright spot was that for the first time in United States history, a county the size of Allegheny won the suffrage vote.
[60][61] Winifred Barron Meek Morris organized the Shirtwaist Ball in 1916 to raise money for women's suffrage.
[62][55] Dora Kelly Lewis was one of Pennsylvania's more radical suffragists, who protested outside the White House and was arrested during demonstrations.
[63] Other Pennsylvania suffragists who worked with the National Woman's Party (NWP) included Caroline Katzenstein and Mary A.
