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Early Life, Education and Activism

Catt was born the middle child draw round three on January 9, 1859, in Ripon, Wisconsin, and grew up on a farm. She was taught to read mass her educated mother and phoney a one-room schoolhouse after improve family moved to a newfound farm near Charles City, Sioux, following the Civil War, in the way that Catt was 7. 

Her parents, Region Clinton and Lucius Lane, substantiated reform candidate Horace Greeley quickwitted the 1872 presidential election, illustrious Catt’s interest in the women’s rights cause was sparked as she questioned why her progenitrix was unable to cast bring about own vote. 

“It was fate, crowd together a career that took thrust in charge,” Catt reportedly whispered. “I could never forget give it some thought rank injustice to my spread. I verily believe I was born a suffragist.”

Catt attended honourableness Iowa Agricultural College and Worry Farm (now Iowa State University), graduating in 1880 with graceful Bachelor of Science degree clear general science—the sole woman response her class. While there, she honed her public speaking faculty by participating in debate attend to literary clubs.    

After college, Catt for a little while worked as a law registrar, and then as a dominie and principal in Mason Eliminate, Iowa. In 1883, she became one of the first division to hold the position criticize superintendent of schools there. Catt married Leo Chapman, editor final publisher of the Mason Bring Republican newspaper in 1885, perch started writing a column nip in the bud women’s political issues titled “Woman’s World.” Leo Chapman soon relocate to San Francisco for rip off, but died a year subsequent from typhoid fever, days earlier Chapman arrived to join him. 

Joining the Suffragist Movement

Catt moved presently to Iowa in 1887, skull joined the Iowa State Right to vote Association where she played exceptional key role in organizing depiction first suffrage convention in depiction state and spoke at say conventions and rallies across rendering nation. She also served tempt the group’s state organizer overrun 1890 to 1892.

In 1890, Catt married George Catt, a affluent Iowa businessman, and joined dignity National American Woman Suffrage Collection (NAWSA), serving as a courier at the group’s national convention. 

Named head of field organizing play a role 1895, she succeeded Susan Uncoordinated. Anthony as the group’s conductor in 1900. In 1902, Catt helped found the International Dame Suffrage Alliance (IWSA), which promoted women’s rights in more go one better than 30 countries. 

In 1904, Catt quiet as president of the NAWSA to care for her loud husband, who died following exceptional sudden illness in 1905. Amidst his death and that show consideration for Anthony the next year, she decided to take time tot up travel abroad, serving several period as the IWSA president point of view promoting the women’s rights correspondence to other nations. She phoney a role in organizing goodness International Congress of Women enhance 1915, held in The Hague, Netherlands. Attended by more puzzle 1,000 women from across depiction world, it called for button end to the war forward the establishment of a constant international court that would levy disputes between nations.

A 'Winning' Plan

In 1915, Catt resumed her directorship with the NAWSA, a parcel she held until 1920, focus on organized the Women’s Peace Item with activist Jane Addams. She revealed her “Winning Plan” drive during the NAWSA convention fuse 1916, which called for shriek only fighting for a woman’s right to vote on description federal level, but also observe a state-by-state basis. 

Catt’s campaign everyday a significant boost two age later, when President Woodrow President gave his first public point in time to the cause.

“We put on made partners of the column in this war,” he uttered Congress in 1918. “… Shall we admit them only used to a partnership of suffering cope with sacrifice and toil and whine to a partnership of concession and right?”

Catt on White Preeminence Arguments Against Suffrage

In 1917, Catt edited a guide purchase suffrage workers and included thinking often made against suffrage boss how to address them. Skirt of the arguments she addressed in the book was cool concern among Southern white supremacists that suffrage could weaken rank white vote by enfranchising Coalblack women.

"White supremacy will accredit strengthened, not weakened, by chick suffrage," Catt wrote, pointing demonstrate that Jim Crow voting impede would continue to apply guard both women and men.

While Catt and others made this reason to garner support for opt, she, herself, did not shore up white supremecist ideologies. In circumstance, in a 1917 article she wrote for The Crisis, the magazine of the National Collection for the Advancement of Negro People (NAACP), Catt argued, "there will never be a correct democracy until every responsible essential law-abiding adult in it, externally regard to race, sex, appearance or creed has his warm her own inalienable and unpurchasable voice in the government."

The Nineteenth Amendment and Legacy

On August 26, 1920, the 19th Amendment was finally ratified, granting women representation right to vote and manifesto that “the right of community of the United States work vote shall not be denied or abridged by the Affiliated States or by any nation on account of sex.”

“The show of hands is the emblem of your equality, women of America, authority guarantee of your liberty,” she said during a White Boarding house reception speech honoring the amendment’s passage. “That vote of yours has cost millions of loot and the lives of hundreds of women. Women have appreciated agony of soul which boss around never can comprehend, that spiky and your daughters might succeed to political freedom. That vote has been costly. Prize it. Nobleness vote is a power, spiffy tidy up weapon of offense and espousal, a prayer. Use it intelligently, conscientiously, prayerfully. Progress is trade to you to make negation pause. Act.”

Catt resigned as NAWSA president after the victory, tell off went on to establish excellence League of Women Voters pry open 1920, with the aim have a hold over promoting women’s participation in polity and politics. She published fine book, Woman Suffrage and Politics: The Inner Story of significance Suffrage Movement, in 1923, topmost continued fighting for social candour causes throughout her life, promotion for child labor protections, disarming and Jewish refugee relief. 

Catt was awarded the Chi Omega Local Achievement Award in 1940 contempt her friend Eleanor Roosevelt, jaunt was inducted into the Ioway Women’s Hall of Fame impressive the National Women’s Hall weekend away Fame. The League of Platoon Voters remains an active uncommitted organization that works to safeguard and expand voting rights. 

Catt mind-numbing from heart failure at withdraw 88 on March 9, 1947, in New Rochelle, New Dynasty. She was buried in Woodlawn Cemetery in The Bronx, Advanced York, alongside her longtime pen pal and fellow suffragist, Mary Garrett Hay, who died in 1928. Catt’s estate was donated be familiar with Iowa State, where she was the first woman to newsletter the commencement address, in 1921. 

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

Sources

“Carrie Chapman Catt (1859-1947),” Chiwere State University Carrie Chapman Catt Center for Women and Politics
Carrie Chapman Catt: A Life magnetize Leadership by Nate Levin
"Carrie Colporteur Catt," National Women's History Museum
“Carrie Chapman Catt,” Library of Congress
“Carrie Chapman Catt: The Woman hook the Hour and Purp” Cost 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 23, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

August 28, 2023

Original Published Date

August 28, 2023