Blogging about suffrage history
& suffrage centennial events
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."
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
March 2021
Categories
All
|