Leslie Woman Suffrage Commission facts for kids
The Leslie Woman Suffrage Commission was an important group in the United States that worked to help women get the right to vote. It was started in March 1917 in New York City by Carrie Chapman Catt. The money for this group came from the will of a wealthy publisher named Miriam Leslie.
The Commission's main goal was to spread the word about why women should vote. They did this by teaching people and sharing information. They had a special office with 25 people who sent news to newspapers all over the country. They also made flyers to show which politicians were against women voting. About $933,728.88 from Miriam Leslie's money was used directly for the cause of women's suffrage. The Commission stopped its work in 1929, after the 19th Amendment was passed. This amendment gave women the right to vote. Women voted for the first time in a presidential election in 1920.
How the Commission Started
When Miriam Leslie passed away in 1914, she left money in her will for Carrie Chapman Catt. Leslie wanted Catt to use this money to continue her work for women's right to vote. Leslie trusted Catt to decide the best way to use the funds.
Leslie's family tried to challenge her will in court. However, Carrie Chapman Catt found a lawyer who agreed to help her. In February 1917, the court decided that Catt should receive $500,000 from Leslie's will. Later, Catt also received jewels from Leslie, which were worth about $34,785.
What the Commission Did
Carrie Chapman Catt used the money to create the Leslie Woman Suffrage Commission. She held a meeting with other leaders who supported women's voting rights in New York in March 1917. Catt led the commission, and Gratia Goller was the secretary and treasurer. At their first meeting, they set up the rules for the organization. They also planned how to use the $500,000 Catt had received.
The Commission worked to teach the public about women's suffrage. It was connected to the National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA). Rose Emmet Young was in charge of creating a special office for the Leslie Commission. This office sent out many news updates to newspapers about the work of suffragists in the United States.
This office had 25 staff members and was located in New York City on Madison Avenue. The office also collected facts about suffrage and answered questions from the public. They printed interviews with suffragists and shared ways to challenge people who were against women voting. The Leslie Commission also helped publish a journal called The Woman Citizen. The group also made information pamphlets. These were given out during political elections to highlight candidates who did not support women's right to vote. In 1920, a newspaper called the Arizona Republic said the Leslie Commission had the "world's largest propaganda bureau run by women."
After the 19th Amendment was passed, women could vote in a presidential election for the first time in 1920. The Leslie Commission then helped support women's suffrage movements in other countries. It also bought books about the history of women's suffrage. These books were donated to public libraries across the United States. The Commission officially closed down on October 1, 1929.
Notable Members
- Alice Stone Blackwell
- Carrie Chapman Catt
- Mary Garrett Hay
- Anna Pennybacker
- Margaret Drier Robins
- Harriet Taylor Upton
