Speaking from soap boxes in the street wasn’t an activity without its risks, as is noted by this June 30, 1914 New York Times article about an associate of my grandmother, Martha Klatschken, who had cold water dumped on her head when she was out advocating for Votes for Women at Twelfth Street and Avenue B in NYC.
With the observance of Martin Luther King Day this week, there’s also an awareness of other civil rights movements in the U.S., including the woman’s suffrage movement.
Below: Go to the web site about Elizabeth Freeman for more information: www.elizabethfreeman.org
2 Responses
What women (and a few wonderful men) went through in their quest for the vote constantly amazes and inspires me. Thank you for sharing these stories.
This is an interesting story about what the women had to go through. And the photo of Elisabeth Freeman on the soapbox is terrific. I didn’t realize that they actually carried soap boxes into the street. And the story of one woman having water dumped on her head when speaking from a soapbox is terrific. Good thing it wasn’t more serious. Both boys and girls should know about this part of American history. When I started reading this blog, I came away with one reaction among many…I had no idea!