by Olivia Twine

There’s an old hand-hewn wooden wagon on display at the New York State capital that’s the centerpiece of the exhibit “From Seneca Falls to the Supreme Court; New York’s Women Leading the Way.” Called “Spirit of 1776,” the wagon served as a moveable speaker’s platform during the suffrage campaign of the early 20th century, which resulted in the passage of the 19th Amendment in 1920 finally guaranteeing women the right to vote.

Tireless suffragist Edna Kearns used the horse-drawn vehicle in New York City and on Long Island where she promoted voting rights for women wherever there was an audience. The response was mixed. Women were routinely criticized for “neglecting” their husbands and children, but Edna’s daughter was seated proudly at her side and her husband, Wilmer, marched in the men’s division of the parades. And when Edna was organizing events away from home, Wilmer answered the phone and attended to suffrage correspondence.

The New York Times reported July 2, 1913 that the wagon, which came from the family of old-time Long Islander, Uncle Dan Hewlett, was presented to the State Woman Suffrage Association for campaign purposes. The Times stated:

“Mrs. Wilmer Kearns and Miss Irene Davidson, dressed as minute men, and little Miss Serena Kearns, in the back seat as Little Liberty carrying the stars and stripes, drove to Jamaica, where a meeting was held. The wagon was covered with painted inscriptions, placards and banners. The words “Spirit of ’76″ was fastened to the back, and beneath it another placard read: ‘If taxation without representation was tyranny in 1776, why  not in 1913?’”

Edna worked on New York State suffrage elections in 1915 and 1917. She picketed the White House and served as congressional chair for Alice Paul, whose courage was extolled in the film, “Iron-Jawed Angels.” These suffragists supported civil disobedience to keep the voting issue alive even when it became taboo after the outbreak of World War I. They challenged President Woodrow Wilson and insisted that the U.S. couldn’t justify fighting for democracy abroad when it wasn’t assured for all its citizens at home.

The Journalist Marguerite Culp-Kearns, Edna’s granddaughter, donated the wagon to the State of New York about ten years ago. The current exhibit features “Spirit of 1776″ and photos of Edna, her colleagues, and panels of contemporary New York State women who forged a path from the Declaration of Sentiments presented at Seneca Falls in 1848 to the Supreme Court of today. The Suffrage Wagon News Channel, or http://www.suffragewagon.org has been created by Culp-Kearns to help develop citizenship through news of the suffrage movement.

Now in its rightful place of honor in the New York State capital around the corner from the Hall of Governors (a display of portraits of the State’s 56 past male governors) “Spirit of 1776″ stands as a reminder of the intelligence, stamina and guts it took to secure a right that seemed obvious in the first place and which we may take for granted today. Voting is a hard-won civil right and the basis of our democracy, much more than a “privilege” like driving a car or traveling on a plane.

Beyond the  milestone  of the suffragists’ goal, the same determination is needed now to meet the challenge of the ongoing values crisis that plagues us. The contrast between our humane sense of fairness and the wreckage visible from unregulated corporate power is disconcerting. We can barely comprehend the choice we face. do we accept the unsustainable “doomsday economy” of inevitable environmental destruction for profit, or will we turn off the TV and do something about it? Can we talk?

New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo is to be congratulated for presenting this exhibit and for his initiative of promoting history as a basis for good citizenship. The Governor’s office recently confirmed that the response to “Spirit of 1776″ has been enthusiastic, and that the exhibit has been extended indefinitely. ++

“As Americans, ours is a legacy of bold independence and passionate belief in fairness and justice for all. For generations, this intrepid spirit has driven women pioneers to challenge injustices and shatter ceilings in pursuit of full and enduring equality. During Women’s History Month, we commemorate their struggles, celebrate centuries of progress, and reaffirm our steadfast commitment to the rights, security, and dignity of women in America and around the world. …While we have made great strides toward equality, we cannot rest until our mothers, sisters, and daughters assume their rightful place as full participants in a secure, prosperous, and just society.”

-Barak Obama

Many of those pioneers in education are recognized and honored in the 2012 Gazette publication by the National Women’s History Project.  Representing hundreds of women whose countless hours of work remain uncounted for, these honorees lead the way in improving education for all young women in America over the centuries.  The efforts made by these individuals changed the course of history–or more appropriate herstory.

These Honorees include:

• Emma Hart Willard (1787–1870) – Women Higher Education Pioneer

• Charlotte Forten Grimke (1837 – 1914) – Freedman Bureau Educator

• Annie Sullivan (1866 – 1936) – Disability Education Architect

• Gracia Molina de Pick (b.1929) – Feminist Educational Reformer

• Okolo Rashid (b.1949) – Community Development Activist and 
Historical Preservation Advocate

• Brenda Flyswithhawks (b. 1950) – American Indian Advocate and Educator

Written by:

Kimberly Roush
Blog Manager

Ginsburg was born March 15th, 1933 in Brooklyn, New York. After receiving her BA at Cornell University, she attended Harvard Law School receiving her LL.B. from Columbia Law School.  She began her career serving as a law clerk to Edmund L. Palmieri, Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, from 1959–1961.

Continuing her career, throughout many roles, advocating for civil rights, women’s issues, worker’s rights and equality, she became a key player in contributing to the Women’s Rights Project of the American Civil Liberties Union, and served as the ACLU’s general Counsel from 1973–1980, and on the National Board of Directors from 1974–1980.

After being appointed Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit in 1980, President Clinton nominated her as Associate Justice of the Supreme Court—taking her seat on August 10, 1993 next to Sandra Day O’Connor the first woman to serve on the Supreme Court.

She married Martin D. Ginsburg in 1954, and has a daughter, Jane, and a son, James. After 56 years of marriage, her husband passed away in June 2010. Not long after his passing, Ginsburg continued serving her position on the Supreme Court.

Ginsburg turning 79 today continues to serve the women of this country with her advocacy for equality and civil rights.  Ginsburg is an icon to young women of America, especially those pursuing a career in law.  Time and time again, she has proudly served her position to show that the Supreme Court is not entirely male —even when she was faced with some of life’s most difficult circumstances.

Ginsburg sets the standard for accountability; openly she has recognized the inaccuracies in history pertaining to equality, women, slavery, and Native Americans when no one else in her position seemed to be talking about such issues.  She continues to represent herself as a woman and more importantly as an individual that has ideas and perspectives that ultimately shape the outcomes of many issues currently facing our society and the world today.

Written by:
Kimberly Roush
Blog Manager

Sources:
http://www.supremecourt.gov/about/biographies.aspx
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/judicial/2009-05-05-ruthginsburg_N.htm
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/01/justice-ruth-bader-ginsburg-egypt_n_1248527.html

For more information, visit www.nmhm.washingtondc.museum or call 202-782-2671.

In honor of the 30th anniversary of Women’s History Month and this year’s theme of Writing Women Back Into History, we wanted to take a moment to remember one of the greats: Marjorie Husted. Many of you probably recognize her by the fictional persona she helped create, Betty Crocker. Not only did Husted help create the first truly iconic domestic diva, she also voiced her in a weekly radio program called Betty Crocker Cooking School of the Air which did a whole lot of what we do today: give cooking advice and tips, interview celebrities, share recipes, and share readers’ stories. The program lasted for over 20 years—may we be so lucky!

Husted started her career with Washburn-Crosby Co. in 1924, which was later merged with several other companies to form General Mills, the company that still uses the Betty Crocker name. She was a home economist who graduated from the University of Minnesota (where she was a Kappa Alpha Theta, for any of you Thetas who are readers!), and she was named Advertising Woman of the Year in 1949 by the Advertising Federation of America, one year before she helped published the Betty Crocker Picture Cookbook (one of Vesta’s standbys!).

Betty Crocker was created to be an all-American homemaker who was both knowledgeable and caring. The Betty Crocker Picture Cookbook is full of entertaining tips as well as recipes and cooking basics. And it is still both knowledgeable and entertaining and certainly worth a read if you haven’t looked at it for a while. The Betty Crocker brand has clearly withstood the test of time!