CONTENT WARNING
Materials in the Library of Virginia’s collections contain historical terms, phrases, and images that are offensive to modern readers. These include demeaning and dehumanizing references to race, ethnicity, and nationality; enslaved or free status; physical and mental ability; and gender and sexual orientation.
Context
This broadside was one of many produced by the Equal Suffrage League of Virginia (ESL) to advocate voting rights for women during the 1910s. About twenty women met in Richmond in 1909 to establish the Equal Suffrage League of Virginia. Many of the officers, including League president Lila Meade Valentine, were involved in the social reforms of the time, collectively known as the Progressive movement. They understood that having the vote would give them more political influence and a better chance to achieve their other goals. Many of them believed that the right to vote was an essential aspect of citizenship to which women were entitled. Within ten years, more than 140 local leagues had been organized from the Eastern Shore to southwestern Virginia, with more than 20,000 members statewide. The league's membership did not include Black women. Barred from entry, Black women worked for voting rights through their own women's clubs and other organizations.
Equal Suffrage League members collected signatures on petitions to submit to the General Assembly, they staffed booths at the state and county fairs, and they made suffrage speeches at county courthouses, schools, churches, movie theaters, and on street corners to educate the public and develop support for woman suffrage. The Equal Suffrage League also printed postcards and published leaflets, broadsides, and pamphlets for statewide distribution. The ESL focused on educating and persuading men and women of Virginia that women had the right to vote "on equal terms with men."
Many men—and women—believed at this time that voting women were a threat to marriage and families because respectable women were meant to stay at home raising children and taking care of the household instead of being involved in politics. This broadside was intended to show that numerous organizations across the country supported women's voting rights.
Citation: Equal Suffrage League of Virginia. Women Do Want the Vote: These Women Have Said So, Broadside 1916 .W66 BOX, Manuscripts & Special Collections, Library of Virginia.
Related Document Bank entries:
Virginia Association Opposed to Woman's Suffrage, Broadside, c. 1910s
Anti-Suffrage Arguments, Broadside, Circa 1912
Learn more in the Library's timeline of the campaign for woman suffrage in Virginia.
Learn more about Lila Meade Valentine in her Dictionary of Virginia Biography entry.
Standards
Suggested Questions
Preview Activity
Analyze: Look at the list of organizations on the broadside. What do these organizations have in common, other than support for the suffrage movement? How are these organizations different? Why would these organizations support woman suffrage?
Post Activities
Take a Stand: Imagine you are an early supporter of voting rights for women. What arguments would you make to convince someone to support the movement?
Current Connection: There are many women’s organizations active in the United States today. Why do you think they are or are not necessary? What contributions might these organizations make in the 21st Century?
Artistic Expression: Recreate the broadside in a different style. Think of how presentation might make a difference in attracting members today.