Ida Husted Harper facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ida Husted Harper
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"A woman of the century"
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| Born | Ida A. Husted February 18, 1851 Franklin County, Indiana, U.S. |
| Died | March 14, 1931 (aged 80) |
| Resting place | Muncie, Indiana |
| Occupation | author, journalist, suffragist |
| Language | English |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Muncie Central High School; Indiana University |
| Genre | biographies |
| Literary movement | women's suffrage |
| Notable works | The Life and Work of Susan B. Anthony; History of Woman Suffrage, volume four (co-written with Susan B. Anthony), five, and six |
| Spouse |
Thomas Winans Harper
(m. 1871; div. 1890) |
| Children | Winnifred Harper Cooley |
Ida Husted Harper (February 18, 1851 – March 14, 1931) was an American writer, journalist, and a strong supporter of women's suffrage. This means she worked hard to help women get the right to vote.
She wrote a three-book biography about Susan B. Anthony, a famous leader in the suffrage movement. Ida also helped Susan B. Anthony write part of the History of Woman Suffrage. After Anthony passed away, Ida finished the last two books of this important history.
Ida Harper was a key person in the women's suffrage movement in the U.S.. She wrote newspaper columns about women's issues. She also gave speeches and managed press for women's rights campaigns.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Ida A. Husted was born on February 18, 1851. Her family lived in Fairfield Township, Franklin County, Indiana. She was the oldest of three children.
Around 1861, when Ida was about ten, her family moved to Muncie, Indiana. They wanted her to go to better schools there. Even as a child, Ida had a great memory and a talent for writing. She went to Muncie High School and then Indiana University. She left college in 1869 to become a high school principal in Peru, Indiana.
Marriage and Family Life
On December 28, 1871, Ida Husted married Thomas Winans Harper. He was a lawyer and a veteran of the American Civil War. They made their home in Terre Haute, Indiana.
Thomas Harper worked as a lawyer there. He was also the main legal advisor for a railroad union. Ida and Thomas had one daughter named Winnifred. Like her mother, Winnifred Harper Cooley grew up to be a writer and journalist. Ida and Thomas later divorced in 1890.
Ida Harper's Career
Ida Harper had a very active career. She was a journalist and a champion for women's right to vote. She started her work in Indiana. After her divorce, she moved to California, New York, and Washington, D.C..
She kept writing for newspapers all over the country. She also gave many speeches about women's rights. Her most important works were the three books about Susan B. Anthony. She also helped write and complete the History of Woman Suffrage.
Working in Indiana
Ida Harper began her journalism career in Terre Haute, Indiana. She started writing articles for the Terre Haute Saturday Evening Mail. At first, she used a male pseudonym (a fake name) called "Mrs. John Smith." Her real name did not appear on her articles until 1881.
For thirteen years, Ida wrote a column called "A Woman's Thoughts." It later changed to "A Woman's Opinions." This column talked about topics like marriage, family, and fashion. But it also discussed important issues like women's rights and voting. Ida's ideas about women's roles changed over time. She always believed that women should have "the right to pursue whatever vocation in life she is best adapted for."
Ida met Susan B. Anthony in 1878. Anthony was a leader of the National Woman Suffrage Association (NWSA). Ida and Susan quickly became good friends and colleagues. From 1884 to 1893, Ida also edited a monthly column called "The Woman's Department." This was in a magazine for railroad workers.
In 1887, Ida was chosen as the secretary of the Indiana NWSA. She helped organize many meetings to try and pass a law. This law would have allowed women to vote in city elections.
In 1889, Ida was asked to work at the Terre Haute Daily News. After her divorce in 1890, she became the newspaper's managing editor. This was one of the first times a woman held such a high position at a political newspaper. She led the newspaper during a lively city election. Her editorials helped a group of reform candidates win their elections.
In May 1890, Ida left her job in Terre Haute. She moved to Indianapolis to be with her daughter, Winnifred. Winnifred was attending a special school for girls. Ida then worked for two years at the Indianapolis News. She continued to write for this newspaper even after she left Indiana.
Moving to California
By 1893, Ida Harper had moved to California. She joined her daughter at Stanford University. Ida also enrolled at Stanford, but she did not finish her degree.
In 1896, she joined the National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA). She became the head of press relations for their campaign in California. This campaign aimed to get a women's suffrage amendment passed in the state. Even though the law didn't pass, Ida's friendship with Susan B. Anthony grew stronger. Anthony admired Ida's writing skills very much.
Working in New York
In 1897, Susan B. Anthony asked Ida to come to New York. She wanted Ida to write her official biography. Ida moved into Anthony's home in Rochester, New York. She spent time organizing Anthony's many papers. This work became the three-book biography, The Life and Work of Susan B. Anthony.
Ida found two large rooms filled with Anthony's personal and historical papers. She published the first two books of the biography in 1898. She wrote the third book, which came out in 1908, two years after Anthony's death. Ida also worked with Anthony on the fourth book of the History of Woman Suffrage. She wrote the fifth and sixth books by herself, which were published in 1922.
Around 1900, Ida traveled a lot with Susan B. Anthony. They went to women's rights meetings and gave speeches. Ida also wrote for many newspapers across the country. Her weekly columns appeared in major cities like Buffalo, New York and Chicago, Illinois. She also wrote a column for The New York Sun and "Votes for Women" for Harper's Bazaar. These columns made her a well-known newspaper writer.
Ida also became active in the International Council of Women. She was the chairwoman of its press committee from 1899 to 1902. In 1910, she became the head of the NAWSA's national press bureau in New York City. She helped spread information about women's suffrage to magazines and newspapers. She also spoke to U.S. congressional committees to support women's right to vote.
Working in Washington, D.C.
In 1916, Ida Harper moved to Washington, D.C.. She took charge of editorial letters at the Leslie Bureau of Suffrage Education. This bureau was part of the NAWSA. Its goal was to help people understand the women's suffrage movement better.
Her department replied to many newspaper articles about women's suffrage. They praised editors who supported voting rights and tried to answer those who opposed it. The bureau's work helped lead to the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution in 1919. This amendment finally gave women the right to vote. After this, Ida finished writing the last two books of the History of Woman Suffrage.
Later Years and Legacy
In her later years, Ida Harper lived in Washington, D.C. She was an active member of the American Association of University Women.
Ida Harper passed away in Washington, D.C., on March 14, 1931, at the age of 80. She is buried in Muncie, Indiana.
Ida Harper's main legacy includes her three books about Susan B. Anthony. Her work on the History of Woman Suffrage is also very important. She also left behind many newspaper columns and magazine articles. These writings show how her views on women's rights changed over time.
Scholars believe that Ida's ideas about women's rights grew as she became more independent. She continued her career as a journalist even when her husband did not approve. After her divorce, she moved away from Indiana. She became a very active writer and supporter of women's rights in California, New York, and Washington, D.C.
Some of Ida Harper's papers are kept at the New York Public Library. Other collections of her writings are at the Huntington Library in San Marino, California, and the Vigo County Public Library in Terre Haute, Indiana.
Selected Published Works
Major Works
- The Life and Work of Susan B. Anthony, three volumes (1898—1908)
- History of Woman Suffrage, edited volume four (1902), co-written with Susan B. Anthony; solo author of volumes five (1922) and six (1922).
Other Writings
- The Associated Work of the Women of Indiana (1893)
- Suffrage a Right (1906)
- Woman Suffrage Throughout the World (1907)
- History of the Movement for Woman Suffrage in the United States (1907)
- How Six States Won Woman Suffrage (1912)
- Suffrage Snapshots (1915)
- A National Amendment for Woman Suffrage (1915)
- A Brief History of the Movement for Woman Suffrage in the United States (1917)
- Story of the National Amendment for Woman Suffrage (1919)
- Life of Dr. Anna Howard Shaw (1927)
