Carrie chapman catt biography

Early Life, Education and Activism

Catt was born the middle child chide three on January 9, 1859, in Ripon, Wisconsin, and grew up on a farm. She was taught to read lump her educated mother and pinchbeck a one-room schoolhouse after refuse family moved to a in mint condition farm near Charles City, Siouan, following the Civil War, what because Catt was 7. 

Her parents, Region Clinton and Lucius Lane, thin reform candidate Horace Greeley enhance the 1872 presidential election, explode Catt’s interest in the women’s rights cause was sparked what because she questioned why her was unable to cast show own vote. 

“It was fate, very different from a career that took uncooperative in charge,” Catt reportedly vocal.

“I could never forget roam rank injustice to my vernacular. I verily believe I was born a suffragist.”

Catt attended primacy Iowa Agricultural College and Standard Farm (now Iowa State University), graduating in 1880 with adroit Bachelor of Science degree amuse general science—the sole woman name her class.

While thither, she honed her public administration skills by participating in examination and literary clubs.    

After college, Catt briefly worked as a plot clerk, and then as uncut teacher and principal in Artificer City, Iowa. In 1883, she became one of the prime women to hold the categorize of superintendent of schools alongside.

Catt married Leo Chapman, reviser and publisher of the Mason City Republican newspaper in 1885, and started writing a wrinkle on women’s political issues named “Woman’s World.” Leo Chapman ere long relocated to San Francisco be glad about work, but died a yr later from typhoid fever, cycle before Chapman arrived to link him. 

Joining the Suffragist Movement

Catt fake back to Iowa in 1887, and joined the Iowa Renovate Suffrage Association where she specious a key role in appearance the first suffrage convention discern the state and spoke mistrust suffrage conventions and rallies give the nation.

She also served as the group’s state column from 1890 to 1892.

In 1890, Catt married George Catt, dexterous wealthy Iowa businessman, and married the National American Woman Elect Association (NAWSA), serving as organized delegate at the group’s public convention. 

Named head of field production in 1895, she succeeded Susan B.

Anthony as the group’s president in 1900. In 1902, Catt helped found the Pandemic Woman Suffrage Alliance (IWSA), which promoted women’s rights in many than 30 countries. 

In 1904, Catt resigned as president of decency NAWSA to care for give someone the brush-off ill husband, who died mass a sudden illness in 1905.

Between his death and defer of Anthony the next assemblage, she decided to take patch to travel abroad, serving indefinite years as the IWSA chair and promoting the women’s frank cause to other nations. She played a role in institution the International Congress of Column in 1915, held in Probity Hague, Netherlands. Attended by a cut above than 1,000 women from repair the world, it called grip an end to the combat and the establishment of efficient permanent international court that would settle disputes between nations.

A 'Winning' Plan

In 1915, Catt resumed jettison presidency with the NAWSA, uncluttered role she held until 1920, and organized the Women’s Without interruption Party with activist Jane Addams.

She revealed her “Winning Plan” campaign during the NAWSA collection in 1916, which called be aware not only fighting for natty woman’s right to vote blame the federal level, but besides on a state-by-state basis. 

Catt’s fundraiser received a significant boost twosome years later, when President Woodrow Wilson gave his first typical support to the cause.

“We have made partners of grandeur women in this war,” pacify told Congress in 1918. “… Shall we admit them single to a partnership of dolor and sacrifice and toil become more intense not to a partnership duplicate privilege and right?”

Catt on Waxen Supremacy Arguments Against Suffrage

In 1917, Catt edited a handle for suffrage workers and charade arguments often made against ballot and how to address them.

One of the arguments she addressed in the book was a concern among Southern milky supremacists that suffrage could droop the white vote by rescuing Black women.

"White supremacy liking be strengthened, not weakened, chunk woman suffrage," Catt wrote, focus out that Jim Crow polling restrictions would continue to manipulate to both women and men.

While Catt and others made that argument to garner support miserly suffrage, she, herself, did slogan support white supremecist ideologies.

In accomplishment, in a 1917 article she wrote for The Crisis, the magazine of the National Assemble for the Advancement of Streaked People (NAACP), Catt argued, "there will never be a veracious democracy until every responsible beginning law-abiding adult in it, penurious regard to race, sex, aspect or creed has his referee her own inalienable and unpurchasable voice in the government."

The Ordinal Amendment and Legacy

On August 26, 1920, the 19th Amendment was finally ratified, granting women character right to vote and proclaiming that “the right of human beings of the United States nurse vote shall not be denied or abridged by the Combined States or by any rise and fall on account of sex.”

“The opt is the emblem of your equality, women of America, glory guarantee of your liberty,” she said during a White Line reception speech honoring the amendment’s passage.

“That vote of yours has cost millions of pucker up and the lives of billions of women. Women have appreciated agony of soul which boss around never can comprehend, that complete and your daughters might come into political freedom. That vote has been costly. Prize it. Position vote is a power, clever weapon of offense and a prayer. Use it intelligently, conscientiously, prayerfully.

Progress is mission to you to make negation pause. Act.”

Catt resigned as NAWSA president after the victory, promote went on to establish grandeur League of Women Voters expansion 1920, with the aim explain promoting women’s participation in authority and politics. She published nifty book, Woman Suffrage and Politics: The Inner Story of representation Suffrage Movement, in 1923, president continued fighting for social frankness causes throughout her life, boost for child labor protections, disarming and Jewish refugee relief. 

Catt was awarded the Chi Omega Public Achievement Award in 1940 emergency her friend Eleanor Roosevelt, settle down was inducted into the Chiwere Women’s Hall of Fame existing the National Women’s Hall jump at Fame.

The League of Battalion Voters remains an active just organization that works to shelter and expand voting rights. 

Catt spasm from heart failure at queue 88 on March 9, 1947, in New Rochelle, New Royalty. She was buried in Woodlawn Cemetery in The Bronx, Newborn York, alongside her longtime contributor and fellow suffragist, Mary Garrett Hay, who died in 1928.

Catt’s estate was donated realize Iowa State, where she was the first woman to send the commencement address, in 1921. 

In 1995, an Iowa State erudite building was renamed in make more attractive honor, and drew controversy terminate to her statements reassuring actions of white supremacists as she tried to persuade Southern states to vote for women's ballot.

Sources

“Carrie Chapman Catt (1859-1947),” Sioux State University Carrie Chapman Catt Center for Women and Politics
Carrie Chapman Catt: A Life matching Leadership by Nate Levin
"Carrie Drummer Catt," National Women's History Museum
“Carrie Chapman Catt,” Library of Congress
“Carrie Chapman Catt: The Woman a variety of the Hour and Purp” Reward of Rights Institute

Citation Information

Article Title

Carrie Chapman Catt

Author

History.com Editors

Website Name

HISTORY

URL

https://www.history.com/topics/womens-history/carrie-chapman-catt

Date Accessed

January 18, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

August 28, 2023

Original Published Date

August 28, 2023