Harriot Stanton Blatch: Life, Legacy, and Suffrage Work

Introduction: Early Life and Education

Harriot Stanton Blatch was a noteworthy woman of the nineteenth century. Born in 1856 to Elizabeth Cady Stanton, the prominent women's rights activist, it may be argued that Harriot learned from her mother and followed in her footsteps to become a suffragette and advocate of gender equality (DuBois, 1999). Harriot was born in Seneca Falls, New York, the sixth of seven children (Anonymous, 2016). During her early years she received a strong education, graduating from Vassar College in 1878 with a degree in mathematics (DuBois, 1999). She then spent one year at a Boston school of oratory, followed by a move to Germany where she worked as a tutor (DuBois, 1999). Following her return from Europe, she met William Henry Blatch, whom she married in 1882, and subsequently had two children. Unfortunately, one child died at an early age, but the second — Laura Stanton Blatch Barney — went on to become a suffragette in her own right (DuBois, 1999).

Reform Work in England

Harriot was exposed to ideas regarding women's rights and equality from an early age, and contributed actively to her mother's work. In 1881, for example, she collaborated with her mother on the publication History of Woman Suffrage and was a major contributor to the second volume (Clement, 2002). While living in England she undertook a study of the working conditions of women in several areas, for which she later received a master's degree from Vassar. She also worked with a number of social reform groups in England, including the Women's Franchise League, where she developed her organisational skills, as well as the Fabian Society (Clement, 2002). These experiences proved formative, shaping both her political philosophy and her practical approach to activism.

Leading the Suffrage Movement in America

Harriot is most known for her work in the United States, which she undertook after returning in 1902. At that time, the suffrage movement in the U.S. had lost much of its momentum. She initially joined the leadership of the Women's Trade Union League (DuBois, 1999). In 1907 she became more active, founding the Equality League of Self-Supporting Women, which later became the Women's Political Union — an organisation dedicated to equality that specifically encouraged working-class women to join the women's rights movement. Harriot effectively engaged and mobilised working women, as demonstrated by the 1910 New York Suffrage Parade and many other militant street protests (Frost-Knappman and Cullen-DuPont, 2002). The union merged with other women's rights groups in 1915 and actively lobbied for women's votes, playing an instrumental role in New York's landmark 1917 suffrage victory.

References

Anonymous. (2016). Harriot Stanton Blatch. [online] Available at:

Clement, J. (2002). Harriot Stanton Blatch. [online] Available at:

DuBois, E. C. (1999). Harriot Stanton Blatch and the Winning of Woman Suffrage. Yale University Press.

Frost-Knappman, E., & Cullen-DuPont, K. (2014). Women's Suffrage in America. Infobase Publishing.