Constitutional amendments--Ratification

Having taken heart from Theodore Roosevelt’s Chicago speech advocating allowing people to vote regardless of gender, Grace C. Simons of the Political Equality League of California asks Roosevelt if he would be willing to write several sentences to be used to help advocate for women’s suffrage. The current California legislature has passed bills amending the state’s constitution in several progressive ways, including granting women the vote, but the matter must now be voted on by the general public. The league is therefore engaged in a campaign to convince the average citizen of the importance of these matters, and Roosevelt’s assistance would be extremely valuable.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-03-20

Creator(s)

Simons, Grace C., 1867-1931

Natalie A. Naylor charts Theodore Roosevelt’s support of women’s suffrage from his writing an essay supporting equal rights for women as a Harvard student, to his tepid support of the movement as president, and his embrace of the right of women to vote in his 1912 Progressive Party campaign for president. Naylor notes the unsuccessful efforts of pioneer suffragettes like Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton to move Roosevelt on the issue while president, and she shows how the 1912 campaign saw a change in Roosevelt’s attitude that he would maintain until the end of his life. Naylor details Roosevelt’s efforts in support of women’s suffrage in the years surrounding World War I, including the successful passage of women’s suffrage in 1917 in New York State.

The article includes a transcript of Roosevelt’s undergraduate essay “Practicability of Equalizing Men and Women before the Law” along with a one page hand-written excerpt from the essay. Two photographs of Roosevelt speaking and a drawing by Roosevelt supplement the article.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Creation Date

2020

Davis S. Chamberlain recounts his recent trip to Japan and argues that the likelihood of war between Japan and the United States is high. Chamberlain urges steps be taken immediately to particularly bolster the Navy to prepare for eventual war, suggesting enacting a graduated income and inheritance tax to pay for it. He believes that such a measure would have broad popular support and could successfully be ratified as a new amendment if need be.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-11-18

Creator(s)

Chamberlain, Davis S., 1848-1933