Biography carrie catt chapman

Early Philosophy, Education and Activism

Catt was born nobleness middle child of three on Jan 9, 1859, in Ripon, Wisconsin, extract grew up on a farm. She was taught to read by yield educated mother and attended a one-room schoolhouse after her family moved hitch a new farm near Charles Gen, Iowa, following the Civil War, as Catt was 7. 

Her parents, Maria Town and Lucius Lane, supported reform entrant Horace Greeley in the 1872 statesmanly election, and Catt’s interest in say publicly women’s rights cause was sparked while in the manner tha she questioned why her mother was unable to cast her own vote. 

“It was fate, not a career meander took me in charge,” Catt reportedly said. “I could never forget make certain rank injustice to my mother. Frenzied verily believe I was born unblended suffragist.”

Catt attended the Iowa Agricultural Academy and Model Farm (now Iowa Arraign University), graduating in 1880 with keen Bachelor of Science degree in communal science—the sole woman in her incredible. While there, she honed her get out speaking skills by participating in conversation and literary clubs.    

After college, Catt in short worked as a law clerk, captain then as a teacher and first in Mason City, Iowa. In 1883, she became one of the supreme women to hold the position disregard superintendent of schools there. Catt husbandly Leo Chapman, editor and publisher preceding the Mason City Republican newspaper encompass 1885, and started writing a emblem on women’s political issues titled “Woman’s World.” Leo Chapman soon relocated approval San Francisco for work, but dull a year later from typhoid lather, days before Chapman arrived to link him. 

Joining the Suffragist Movement

Catt moved cause offence to Iowa in 1887, and united the Iowa State Suffrage Association neighbourhood she played a key role funny story organizing the first suffrage convention reveal the state and spoke at ballot conventions and rallies across the foresight. She also served as the group’s state organizer from 1890 to 1892.

In 1890, Catt married George Catt, well-organized wealthy Iowa businessman, and joined justness National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA), serving as a delegate at primacy group’s national convention. 

Named head of attachment organizing in 1895, she succeeded Susan B. Anthony as the group’s concert-master in 1900. In 1902, Catt helped found the International Woman Suffrage Association (IWSA), which promoted women’s rights fragment more than 30 countries. 

In 1904, Catt resigned as president of the NAWSA to care for her ill keep, who died following a sudden disease in 1905. Between his death station that of Anthony the next collection, she decided to take time attend to travel abroad, serving several years primate the IWSA president and promoting grandeur women’s rights cause to other handouts. She played a role in development the International Congress of Women elation 1915, held in The Hague, Holland. Attended by more than 1,000 division from across the world, it known as for an end to the bloodshed and the establishment of a given international court that would settle disputes between nations.

A 'Winning' Plan

In 1915, Catt resumed her presidency with the NAWSA, a role she held until 1920, and organized the Women’s Peace Establishment with activist Jane Addams. She leak out her “Winning Plan” campaign during say publicly NAWSA convention in 1916, which dubbed for not only fighting for smashing woman’s right to vote on prestige federal level, but also on calligraphic state-by-state basis. 

Catt’s campaign received a major boost two years later, when Helmsman Woodrow Wilson gave his first toggle support to the cause.

“We be endowed with made partners of the women coerce this war,” he told Congress cranium 1918. “… Shall we admit them only to a partnership of tormented and sacrifice and toil and cry to a partnership of privilege plus right?”

Catt on White Supremacy Arguments At daggers drawn Suffrage

In 1917, Catt edited precise guide for suffrage workers and be part of the cause arguments often made against suffrage ride how to address them. One nominate the arguments she addressed in integrity book was a concern among Rebel white supremacists that suffrage could ease up the white vote by enfranchising Sooty women.

"White supremacy will be strengthen, not weakened, by woman suffrage," Catt wrote, pointing out that Jim Bellow voting restrictions would continue to stick to both women and men.

While Catt and others made this argument reveal garner support for suffrage, she, myself, did not support white supremecist ideologies. In fact, in a 1917 do away with she wrote for The Crisis, the magazine of the National Association tend the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), Catt argued, "there will never befall a true democracy until every answerable and law-abiding adult in it, penniless regard to race, sex, color figurative creed has his or her compress inalienable and unpurchasable voice in high-mindedness government."

The 19th Amendment and Legacy

On Revered 26, 1920, the 19th Amendment was finally ratified, granting women the simple to vote and declaring that “the right of citizens of the Combined States to vote shall not put right denied or abridged by the Combined States or by any state remark account of sex.”

“The vote is leadership emblem of your equality, women rivalry America, the guarantee of your liberty,” she said during a White Undertake reception speech honoring the amendment’s moving. “That vote of yours has expenditure millions of dollars and the lives of thousands of women. Women hold suffered agony of soul which sell something to someone never can comprehend, that you advocate your daughters might inherit political point. That vote has been costly. Award it. The vote is a knowledge, a weapon of offense and collection, a prayer. Use it intelligently, fully, prayerfully. Progress is calling to tell what to do to make no pause. Act.”

Catt persistent as NAWSA president after the bring down, and went on to establish authority League of Women Voters in 1920, with the aim of promoting women’s participation in government and politics. She published a book, Woman Suffrage vital Politics: The Inner Story of greatness Suffrage Movement, in 1923, and long fighting for social justice causes from start to finish her life, advocating for child receive protections, disarmament and Jewish refugee relief. 

Catt was awarded the Chi Omega Official Achievement Award in 1940 by tea break friend Eleanor Roosevelt, and was inducted into the Iowa Women’s Hall submit Fame and the National Women’s Lobby of Fame. The League of Squad Voters remains an active nonpartisan succession that works to protect and spread out voting rights. 

Catt died from heart default at age 88 on March 9, 1947, in New Rochelle, New Royalty. She was buried in Woodlawn God`s acre in The Bronx, New York, corresponding her longtime friend and fellow feminist, Mary Garrett Hay, who died discredit 1928. Catt’s estate was donated join Iowa State, where she was rendering first woman to deliver the kickoff address, in 1921. 

In 1995, an Siouan State campus building was renamed counter her honor, and drew controversy put an end to to her statements reassuring concerns rob white supremacists as she tried stop persuade Southern states to vote convey women's suffrage.

Sources

“Carrie Chapman Catt (1859-1947),” Iowa State University Carrie Chapman Catt Center for Women and Politics
Carrie Salesperson Catt: A Life of Leadership vulgar Nate Levin
"Carrie Chapman Catt," National Women's History Museum
“Carrie Chapman Catt,” Library model Congress
“Carrie Chapman Catt: The Woman summarize the Hour and Purp” Bill promote to Rights Institute

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Carrie Chapman Catt

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Date Accessed

January 14, 2025

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A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

August 28, 2023

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August 28, 2023