Women's Suffrage in Vermont Collection
Collection Overview
The Women’s Suffrage in Vermont Collection documents Vermonters’ efforts to obtain voting rights for women. With contributions from the Vermont State Archives and Records Administration, the Leahy Library at the Vermont Historical Society, and...
Show moreThe Women’s Suffrage in Vermont Collection documents Vermonters’ efforts to obtain voting rights for women. With contributions from the Vermont State Archives and Records Administration, the Leahy Library at the Vermont Historical Society, and Silver Special Collections at the University of Vermont, the collection focuses on the period from 1870 to 1920.
The Women’s Suffrage in Vermont Collection include VESA annual meeting reports and correspondence, legislation, promotional materials such as broadsides and leaflets, and photographs.
HISTORY
In 1870, the Vermont Council of Censors proposed an amendment to the state constitution calling for full suffrage for women. A group of men formed the Vermont Woman Suffrage Association to support the amendment, which failed by a vote of 231 to 1 at the constitutional convention. Ten years later, taxpaying women did obtain the right to vote and hold office in school districts. The Vermont Woman Suffrage Association (VWSA) reorganized in 1884 and focused on achieving woman suffrage in municipal elections by introducing voting rights legislation, advocating in newspapers, and holding meetings and rallies with local and national speakers. The VWSA, which became the Vermont Equal Suffrage Association (VESA) in 1907, worked closely with the American Woman Suffrage Association, later the National American Woman Suffrage Association. Anti-suffragists formed the Vermont Association Opposed to Woman Suffrage in 1912, and by 1917, when the Vermont legislature passed a law that allowed taxpaying women to vote in local elections, the organization claimed over 5,000 members.
VESA continued to push for full suffrage, and came close in 1919 when the legislature passed a bill allowing women to vote in presidential elections. Governor Clement refused to sign the bill, and the House of Representatives upheld his veto. After Congress passed the Nineteenth Amendment in 1919, VESA members campaigned vigorously to have the legislature consider state ratification, but Governor Clement refused to call a special session and the amendment was ratified in 1920 without Vermont’s support. With the right to vote obtained, VESA dissolved and the new Vermont League of Women Voters took on the task of educating Vermont women about civic responsibilities.
FURTHER READING
Clifford, Deborah P. The Drive for Women's Municipal Suffrage in Vermont 1883-1917. Vermont History 47, no. 3 (1979): 173-190.
Clifford, Deborah P. An Invastion of Strong-Minded Women: The Newspapers and the Woman Suffrage Campaign in Vermont in 1870. Vermont History 43, no. 1 (1975): 1-19.
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Pages
- Title
- Lillian H. Olzendam to George E. Ladd
- Date Created
- 1919-12-22
- Description
-
Olzendam asks the Reverend George Ladd of West Woodstock, as a supporter of suffrage, to sign a petition to the Governor to call a special legislative session for ratification and to forward the petition to other well-known men in his social and professional groups.
- Title
- Lillian H. Olzendam to Harriet W. Patterson
- Date Created
- 1919-12-03
- Description
-
Olzendam asks Mrs. George W. Patterson to speak with Representative Clark of Brookfield in order to change his mind about signing the petition, and discusses petition signing statistics from the towns of Brookfield and Randolph Center.
- Title
- Lillian H. Olzendam to Horatio Nelson Jackson
- Date Created
- 1919-12-22
- Description
-
Olzendam asks Major H. Nelson Jackson of Burlington, as a supporter of suffrage, to sign a petition to the Governor to call a special legislative session for ratification and to forward the petition to other well-known men in his social and professional groups.
- Title
- Lillian H. Olzendam to John Spargo
- Date Created
- 1919-11-15
- Description
-
Olzendam writes to John Spargo of Bennington about his interest in helping to obtain a special legislative session, and puts him in touch with Washington County Senator Howland, the chairman of the legislative committee to ask Governor Clement for a special session.
- Title
- Lillian H. Olzendam to Marion Stone Pelley
- Date Created
- 1919-11-06
- Description
-
Olzendam tells Pelley she doesn’t believe that the state’s lawmakers fully understand the Federal suffrage amendment, discusses her difficulties with obtaining legislators’ signatures in support of a special session, and expresses concern at pushing too much for Washington County Senator Howland...
Show moreOlzendam tells Pelley she doesn’t believe that the state’s lawmakers fully understand the Federal suffrage amendment, discusses her difficulties with obtaining legislators’ signatures in support of a special session, and expresses concern at pushing too much for Washington County Senator Howland’s help.
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- Title
- Lillian H. Olzendam to Rex
- Date Created
- 1919-12-20
- Description
-
Olzendam explains that she has started sending petitions for signatures in support of women’s suffrage to men belonging to various groups and professions.
- Title
- Lillian H. Olzendam to Robert Haley
- Date Created
- 1919-12-16
- Description
-
Olzendam asks Robert Haley of Bennington to consider working with Washington County Senator Howland to speak with the Governor about calling a special session for ratification; his fellow townsman, John Spargo, has already agreed to be part of such a delegation, and the VESA would pay the cost of...
Show moreOlzendam asks Robert Haley of Bennington to consider working with Washington County Senator Howland to speak with the Governor about calling a special session for ratification; his fellow townsman, John Spargo, has already agreed to be part of such a delegation, and the VESA would pay the cost of the visit.
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- Title
- Lillian Herrick Olzendam to Carrie Chapman Catt
- Date Created
- 1919-10-12
- Description
-
Olzendam reports on a visit she had with friends of the Governor, stating her understanding that he does not want to call a special session for fear that legislation other than ratification would pass, and that if this obstacle could be overcome a special session would be called.
- Title
- Lillian Herrick Olzendam to Carrie Chapman Catt
- Date Created
- 1919-09-29
- Description
-
Olzendam reports on the outcomes of her and Pelley's trip to visit legislators, indicates that Senator Howland of Barre is willing to chair a committee to ask the Governor for his conditions, and that while the majority opinion is to have a special session, the main objection is the cost to the...
Show moreOlzendam reports on the outcomes of her and Pelley's trip to visit legislators, indicates that Senator Howland of Barre is willing to chair a committee to ask the Governor for his conditions, and that while the majority opinion is to have a special session, the main objection is the cost to the state.
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- Title
- Lillian Herrick Olzendam to Frank G. Howland
- Date Created
- 1919-10-18
- Description
-
Olzendam updates Washington County Senator Frank Howland about the legislative signatures she has obtained in support of a special legislative session to ratify the suffrage amendment.
- Title
- Lillian Herrick Olzendam to Frank G. Howland
- Date Created
- 1919-10-18
- Description
-
Olzendam updates Washington County Senator Frank Howland about the legislative signatures she has obtained in support of a special legislative session to ratify the suffrage amendment.
- Title
- Lillian Herrick Olzendam to Frank G. Howland
- Date Created
- 1919-10-22
- Description
-
Olzendam clarifies for Washington County Senator Howland the expectations of the VESA for a special session, explaining that Howland was asked to head a legislative committee to ask the Governor for his conditions for calling a special session, that Howland stated he wanted to select his own...
Show moreOlzendam clarifies for Washington County Senator Howland the expectations of the VESA for a special session, explaining that Howland was asked to head a legislative committee to ask the Governor for his conditions for calling a special session, that Howland stated he wanted to select his own committee members, and that the Governor's main objection to a special session was understood to be the expense to the State.
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- Title
- Lillian Herrick Olzendam to Frank G. Howland
- Date Created
- 1919-09-12
- Description
-
Olzendam sends Senator Howland a list of possible candidates for the committee and states that after her conversations with legislators she feels they will get the special session. Includes enclosure.
- Title
- Lillian Herrick Olzendam to Harvey William Varnum
- Date Created
- 1919-10-18
- Description
-
Olzendam asks Senator Varnum of Jeffersonville to sign his name to a petition of legislators supporting a special session to ratify the Federal Suffrage Amendment.
- Title
- Lillian Herrick Olzendam to Lisa M. Wilkinson
- Date Created
- 1919-09-15
- Description
-
Olzendam relays Horton's idea for a "Citizenship Conference" to be held in Burlington, the "hot-bed of Antis," with men and women speakers (including Mrs. Schoonmaker of Connecticut), later to be brought to Bennington.
- Title
- Lillian Herrick Olzendam to Marion Stone Pelley
- Date Created
- 1919-10-19
- Description
-
Olzendam updates Pelley on her plans to come to St. Johnsbury, requesting a car so she can visit legislators in outlying towns, and tells Pelley that Dr. Horton would like to discover who was the author of a recent editorial in the Burlington Free Press.
- Title
- Lillian Herrick Olzendam to Vermont Legislators
- Date Created
- 1919-10_01
- Description
-
Copy of circular letter sent to legislators, with instructions for printing, present status of ratification nationwide, and "Woodstock Suffrage Study Club" letterhead on the back.
- Title
- Lillian Herrick Olzendam to William H. Dyer
- Date Created
- 1919-10-19
- Description
-
Olzendam asks Representative Dyer of Salisbury for his signature in support of ratification, tells him she believes he thinks "the Constitution of Vermont supercedes that of the United States of America," and explains the national importance of Vermont's position.
- Title
- Lisa M. Wilkinson to Lillian Herrick Olzendam
- Date Created
- 1919-09-08
- Description
-
Wilkinson warns that there will be an upcoming meeting of the board and states that while she likes the idea of a suffrage conference with a national speaker, she can't commit to working on a conference due to family commitments. She discusses Greely, Hale, and Spargo as potential speakers.
- Title
- Marion R. Horton to Annette W. Parmalee
- Date Created
- 1919-09-08
- Description
-
Horton offers Parmelee the position of State Historian for the Vermont Equal Suffrage Association.