Virtual History Talk - Against the Vote: The Women Who Fought Woman Suffrage

The story of woman suffrage is often told as a triumphant march toward justice. But behind the yellow roses and parades lies a lesser-known chapter: the women who fought against their own enfranchisement. This lecture explores the surprising and complex history of the anti-suffrage movement—led not only by powerful institutions and business interests, but by elite, educated, and politically active women themselves.

From the earliest days of the suffrage campaign, opposition was fierce. Many women believed that voting would undermine their moral authority, disrupt family harmony, and erode the sanctity of the home. Others feared that political engagement would masculinize women and destabilize the gendered social order. Still others, like Josephine Jewell Dodge and Ruth Whitney Lyman, saw suffrage as a threat to the charitable and reform work they believed women could best accomplish outside the political arena.

This talk traces the evolution of anti-suffrage arguments—from appeals to domestic virtue and religious tradition to fears of socialism, anarchy, and even military vulnerability. It highlights the role of anti-suffrage organizations like the Massachusetts Association Opposed to the Further Extension of Suffrage to Women and the National Association Opposed to Woman Suffrage, which lobbied, published, and organized with remarkable sophistication.

Ultimately, the 19th Amendment passed in 1920—but not without a final, dramatic vote in Tennessee, swayed by a letter from a mother to her son. This talk invites audiences to reconsider the complexities of political change and the unexpected alliances that shape history.

A seasoned public historian, Elizabeth Maurer specializes in women’s history and civic engagement. Her work brings historical narratives to life through dynamic storytelling, museum interpretation, and public programming.

Join me on Zoom! https://gwu-edu.zoom.us/j/97434340818