The California Equal Suffrage Association was a political organization in the state of California with the intended goal of passing women's suffrage.

Founding

In 1870 the California State Woman Suffrage Society or California Woman Suffrage Association was founded by Laura de Force Gordon. The California Woman Suffrage Association changed its name from California Woman Suffrage Association to California Equal Suffrage Association in 1896 to appeal to male sympathisers. The California Equal Suffrage Association (CESA) was headquartered in northern California and was founded by suffragist Elizabeth Lowe Watson. It was incorporated in 1904. The original name of the organization was The California Woman's Suffrage Association. Part of the reason for rebranding the organization was to reach out to men for support of the suffrage cause. The CESA would actively seek out the support of men. Activists affiliated with this organization lobbied for women's suffrage from automobiles and produced goods for purchase such as playing cards and postcards.

Political work

Suffragist Gail Laughlin traveled the state in November of 1904 campaigning on behalf of suffrage and spreading the word about this organization. Historian Gayle Gullett noted that the Los Angeles Times referred to the attendees as "several hundred assertive-appearing women." In 1905 the organization distributed pamphlets promoting the suffrage cause in the California Senate chamber. In September of that year they held their state convention. Attendees included

Caroline Severance Caroline Maria Seymour Severance (1820–1914) was an American abolitionist, suffragist, and founder of women's clubs. Early life and education Caroline Maria Seymour was born on January 12, 1820, in Canandaigua, New York, the daughter of a bank ...

, Mary Sperry, Anna Bidwell and

Ellen Clark Sargent Ellen Clark Sargent (Massachusetts, 1826–1911) was an active American women's suffragist. She was influential in advocacy for the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which sought to give women the right to vote. Early life ...

was designated an honorary president of this organization in 1905. Suffragist

Lillian Harris Coffin Lillian or Lilian can refer to: People * Lillian (name) or Lilian, a given name Places * Lilian, Iran, a village in Markazi Province, Iran In the United States * Lillian, Alabama * Lillian, West Virginia * Lillian Township, Custer County, Ne ...

created a central committee for the CESA in 1906. Berkeley attorney Mary McHenry Keith also served as president of the CESA.

Prominent leaders

Mary Gamage Mary may refer to: People * Mary (name), a feminine given name (includes a list of people with the name) Religious contexts * New Testament people named Mary, overview article linking to many of those below * Mary, mother of Jesus, also calle ...

* Mary McHenry Keith *

Minora Kibbe Minora Ellis Kibbe (née Minora Ellis) was a social reformer and suffragist from California. She ran for a seat on the San Francisco area school board in 1908, and for California's 36th State Assembly district in 1918. Education Kibbe studied ...

{{Cite web, title=San Francisco Call 17 May 1904 — California Digital Newspaper Collection, url=https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=SFC19040517.2.107.8&srpos=1&e=-------en--20--1-byDA-txt-txIN-%22California+equal+suffrage+association%22-------1, access-date=2021-05-11, website=cdnc.ucr.edu * Gail Laughlin * Alice Park *

* Mary Sperry * Elizabeth Lowe Watson

References

California suffrage Women's suffrage advocacy groups in the United States Defunct political advocacy groups in the United States Non-profit organizations based in California Organizations established in 1870 History of women in California