Blogging about suffrage history
& suffrage centennial events
I apologize for not posting yesterday. I was making history.
In honor of The Women's March on Washington, which turned into a local & global phenomenon all at once, I give you The March of the Women with music by Ethel Smyth & lyrics by Cecily Hamilton. Written in 1911 after Smyth joined Emmeline Pankhurst's Women's Social and Political Union, it quickly became the Suffragette's go to song. It has a great rhythm for marching. Plus it's one of the few songs specifically written for the movement. I thought it fitting to share this particular song in the wake of the weekend's events. I, personally, was at the local march in my city of Glens Falls, NY. It's a very small city of around 15,000 people. Our local paper estimates our march at about 1,500 people! We were hoping for 200. I am part of a group working on programs for the NY State Suffrage Centennial this year. I would love to get a group (4 or so) together to perform The March of the Women for our historical rally on May 7, 2017. Plus, we are working on recreating the NY State Suffrage Convention that occurred in Glens Falls in 1900! Stay tuned. Below are images from the Women's March in Glens Falls... The gazebo is the future sight of our Suffrage Centennial rally in May! The final image is me in my National Women's Party colors pussyhat.
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"Rights of Woman" was published in The Philadelphia Minerva on October 17, 1795. The lyrics are "By a Lady" & set to the tune "God Save America", which is also "America (My Country tis of Thee)" & "God Save the Queen" (or King depending on the reigning monarch in Britain). While this song does not specifically reference of suffrage, it calls for the rights of women. & it calls for women to speak up & to revolt much like Abigail Adams warned in 1776. "I long to hear that you have declared an independency -- and by the way in the new Code of Laws which I suppose it will be necessary for you to make I desire you would Remember the Ladies, and be more generous and favourable to them than your ancestors. Do not put such unlimited power into the hands of the Husbands. Remember all Men would be tyrants if they could. If perticuliar care and attention is not paid to the Laidies we are determined to foment a Rebelion, and will not hold ourselves bound by any Laws in which we have no voice, or Representation." -Abigail Adams in a letter to her husband John Adams, March 31, 1776 My favorite part of this song is the reference to Mary Wollstonecraft & her Vindication of the Rights of Women published in 1792 in Verse 8. However, my least favorite part is the unfortunate extra line in Verse 5. It makes the verse particularly awkward to sing. Introduction: Each week of the NY State Suffrage Centennial year of 2017 I plan on posting a new recording of an old suffrage song, along with a bit of history. I hope to bring renewed interest to these songs & the movement that inspired them.
The first suffrage song for this first week of 2017, is "Keep Woman in Her Sphere". It is set to tune of "Auld Lang Syne", a Scottish song not written by, but first recorded in writing by the Scottish poet & bard Robert Burns. The suffrage lyrics appear in The Woman Suffrage Campain Song Book published in Lincoln, Nebraska in 1882. The lyricist is noted as E. Estabrook. I believe this to be Experience Estabrook (1813-1894) who was appointed attorney general of Nebraska territory in 1855. His daughter, Caroline Augusta (Gussie) Estabrook Clowry was the composer G. Estabrook, who was quite the rock star of her day, selling over one million copies (of sheet music). Verse one suggests that women must know there place, & it is in the home. One arguments of the time revolved around women influencing their husbands, &, therefore, not needing the vote. Verse two brings in the question of temperance. One of the major arguments for giving women the right to vote was that women could have control over their own inheritance, wages, and custody of their children, particularly if they married a drunkard. Temperance & suffrage seemed to go hand in hand from the beginning (more on that in future posts). The third verse has the narrator at last speaking to a reasonable man. He comes across as educated, &, possibly, an attorney (as Mr. Estabrook himself was). Finally a glimmer of hope from the patriarchy. Verse 1 I have a neighbor, one of those Not very hard to find, Who know it all without debate Ande never change their mind. I asked him "What of women's rights," He said in tones severe- "My mind on that is all made up, Keep woman in her sphere." Verse 2 I saw a man in tattered garb Forth from the grog-shop come; He squandered all his cash for drink, And starved his wife at home; I asked him "Should not woman vote?" He answered with a sneer- "I've taught my wife to know her place. Keep woman in her sphere." Verse 3 I met an earnest, thoughtful man, Not many days ago, Who pondered deep all human law The honest truth to know; I asked him "What of woman's cause!" The answer came sincere- "Her rights are just the same as mine, Let woman choose her spere." |
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