Josephine Brawley Hughes facts for kids
Elizabeth Josephine Brawley Hughes (born December 22, 1839 – died March 1926) was an important person who worked for women's rights in the western part of the United States. She helped make life better for women in Arizona.
About Josephine Hughes
Elizabeth Josephine Brawley was born on a farm in Meadville, Pennsylvania. This was on December 22, 1839. Her parents were John R. Brawley and Sarah Haskins. After finishing school at Edinboro State Normal School, she taught in public schools for two years.
While she was a student, she met Louis C. Hughes. They got married in 1868. Louis had been hurt in the American Civil War. Because of this, he moved to the Arizona Territory in 1871. Josephine followed him in 1872 with their first child, Gertrude.
Josephine and her baby traveled a long way. First, they went by train to San Francisco. Then, they took a boat to San Diego. Finally, they rode a stagecoach to Tucson. During this trip, Josephine carried a loaded rifle in one arm. Her baby daughter was in the other arm.
When Josephine arrived in Tucson, there were only two other homemakers from the eastern U.S. living there. This shows how few families had moved to the area at that time.
The Hughes family lived in an adobe home. This was like most homes in Tucson, which was called "The Old Pueblo." Their home had the town's first cistern, which collected water. Josephine taught at the first public school for girls in Tucson. She also worked at her husband's newspaper, the Arizona Star.
In 1893, Louis C. Hughes became the governor of the Arizona Territory. President Grover Cleveland chose him for this job. Later, their son, John T., served in the first state Senate.
Today, there is a special bronze plaque in Josephine's honor. You can find it in the main hall of the Arizona State Capitol building in Phoenix. It was placed there on December 16, 1926.
Fighting for Rights
Josephine Hughes was the president of the Arizona Women's Christian Temperance Association. This group, like others across the country, believed women should have the right to vote. They thought voting would help women make their communities safer. They wanted to control alcohol and other bad things.
In 1890, Josephine helped start the first group in Arizona Territory that worked for women's right to vote. This was called the women's suffrage movement. Even with all her hard work, women in Arizona did not get the right to vote until 1912.
Her Achievements
- She helped start the first public girls' school in the Southwest.
- She was the first woman to teach in a public school in Arizona.
- She worked with other women to raise money for the first Protestant church in Arizona.
- She helped create the Woman's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) in Arizona.
- She helped begin the movement for women's right to vote in Arizona.
- She helped manage and run the Arizona Daily Star newspaper.
