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No Votes for Women
No Votes for Women: The New York State Anti-Suffrage Movement | Susan Goodier
7 posts | 2 read | 27 to read
No Votes for Women explores the complicated history of the suffrage movement in New York State by delving into the stories of women who opposed the expansion of voting rights to women. Susan Goodier finds that conservative women who fought against suffrage encouraged women to retain their distinctive feminine identities as protectors of their homes and families, a role they felt was threatened by the imposition of masculine political responsibilities. She details the victories and defeats on both sides of the movement from its start in the 1890s to its end in the 1930s, acknowledging the powerful activism of this often overlooked and misunderstood political force in the history of women's equality.
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blurb
Yossarian
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This was my #boughtonvacation book from my trip to Seneca Falls, NY last summer. I love reading history from the loser's point of view. And what interested me the most was that these women leading the fight against women's suffrage honestly felt that they were acting in their sex's best interest, and saw their work as an extension of other charitable and social endeavors.

8little_paws My family is from Seneca Falls 7y
drokka There are still groups like around. 😕 7y
105 likes3 stack adds3 comments
review
Yossarian
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Mehso-so

An interesting study of the history of female anti-suffragists, but I wanted more. I learned, for example, that in the 1890s, they would not debate the suffragists (too close to engaging in politics), but in the 1910s they did, but I never got a good sense of what the debates were like.

At only 173 pages, I felt she could have gone into more detail -- quoting arguments at length instead of just saying that they argued for "separate spheres."

BookishFeminist It always boggles my mind when there are groups of people against rights for their group, like women being against women's rights. I know they exist for every faction but I've always found the psychology of it interesting, even if I want to give them a stern talking to. (Read: smack them upside the head.) I wonder whether these women exercised their right to vote once it was granted. 8y
Poindextrix Preservation of the status quo is a core value for way more people than I would ever expect. I am constantly surprised, even though at this point I feel like I should know better. I'd like to learn more about the female anti-suffragists; I'm bummed this book was only so-so. 8y
Yossarian @BookishFeminist The anti-suffragists thought they were engaging in community service and often worked alongside suffragists in their other charitable pursuits (e.g., education, Red Cross). They didn't see themselves as opposing women's rights, but protecting them -- their "separate spheres" beliefs assumed that if men and women could both do everything, then men would "naturally" take control, and they wanted to protect the women's sphere. 8y
Yossarian @BookishFeminist And they absolutely registered and voted -- they saw it as a civic duty, comparable to jury duty or the Draft. To them it was like arguing that women shouldn't be drafted into the military, but if the law required it, they would patriotically go register. 8y
Yossarian Many of them also became active in the new League of Women Voters, continuing their belief that women were especially good at non-partisan civil service, and saw the League as a natural successor to their anti-suffrage work in a full-suffrage world. 8y
87 likes5 comments
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Yossarian
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Silly women, thinking that a vote could ever be as satisfying as the love of a child. (c. 1917, New York State Association Opposed to Women's Suffrage)

coffeenebula 😦🙄😦🙄 8y
Anabnieto Nothing like time to put bulls$!* in perspective 8y
brooklynreads Silly, silly women. 8y
See All 8 Comments
JSW Women: being Mansplained to and told what we think since the dawn of time. 8y
alisahar Ha- such an amazing picture. 8y
Yossarian @JSW Surprisingly, the organization that produced that illustration was 100% woman-run. 8y
JSW @Yossarian I had to read that comment three times to be sure I understood. 😱 I always forget the ways that the oppressed become brainwashed. 8y
BookishFeminist Who knew we'd be able to vote and raise children at the same time it's almost like we can't multitask. 🙄🙄 8y
106 likes2 stack adds8 comments
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Yossarian
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If you do not actively oppose women's suffrage, you might as well join the wicked triumvirate of Feminists, Socialists, and Mormons! (Probably the only time in history those three got lumped together.)

Keegz63 🙄 8y
92 likes5 stack adds1 comment
quote
Yossarian
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"Now native-born, white, middle-class suffragists argued that their votes 'could counteract the votes of the undesirable part of the electorate." (Cite to Susan B. Anthony).

Not all reasons for good results are good reasons!

Procrastireader Yeah--the "one group should get something so another group won't" reasoning really never gets old. Nor does the flip side: "If one group gets something, another group can't." 8y
Riveted_Reader_Melissa Sadly the one argument everyone seems to understand! Equality for equality, No! Equality to keep us ahead of the Jones, Yes! 8y
69 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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Yossarian
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When you are on vacation so need to find a new "reading position."

Tav No joke. This is a serious issue when trying to progress through a book while tanning evenly on front and back. 8y
170 likes1 comment
blurb
Yossarian
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Panicked trip to the bookstore, to make sure I have enough to read on my vacation, so what do I do the first time I get to a museum gift shop? Buy a new book.

LDavisMunro Super fascinating topic! I can't wait to hear if you think this is a good book. 8y
[DELETED] 2232195534 I thought that was what you were supposed to do. Plus the book looks good too. 😀 8y
Noonnie Wauw that seems like a very interesting book! 8y
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JSW I always buy books on vacation. Always. 8y
AliciaHowell I do that too! Can't help myself. 8y
Clevercactus Can you imagine those protesters chants? "Women shouldn't wander! Women shouldn't roam! Womens' voices should not count outside of the home!" 8y
113 likes13 stack adds6 comments