Harriet May Mills (August 9, 1857 – May 15, 1935) was a prominent

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

civil rights Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from infringement by governments, social organizations, and private individuals. They ensure one's entitlement to participate in the civil and political life of ...

leader who played a pivotal role in the 19th century

women's rights Women's rights are the rights and entitlements claimed for women and girls worldwide. They formed the basis for the women's rights movement in the 19th century and the feminist movements during the 20th and 21st centuries. In some countries, ...

movement.

Life

Mills was born on August 9, 1857 in

Syracuse, New York Syracuse ( ) is a City (New York), city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, Onondaga County, New York, United States. It is the fifth-most populous city in the state of New York following New York City, Buffalo, New York, Buffa ...

, the daughter of Charles DeBerad Mills and Harriet Anne Smith. She graduated from

Cornell University Cornell University is a private statutory land-grant research university based in Ithaca, New York. It is a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, Cornell was founded with the intention to teach an ...

in 1879, having joined the school only two years after it began admitting women. Her father Charles was an

abolitionist Abolitionism, or the abolitionist movement, is the movement to end slavery. In Western Europe and the Americas, abolitionism was a historic movement that sought to end the Atlantic slave trade and liberate the enslaved people. The British ...

who was involved in the

Jerry Rescue The Jerry Rescue occurred on October 1, 1851, and involved the public rescue of a fugitive slave who had been arrested the same day in Syracuse, New York, during the anti-slavery Liberty Party's state convention. The escaped slave was William ...

and had his house serve as a safe harbor for escaped slaves as part of the

Underground Railroad The Underground Railroad was a network of clandestine routes and safe houses established in the United States during the early- to mid-19th century. It was used by enslaved African Americans primarily to escape into free states and Canada. T ...

. After finishing college, Mills organized one of the first and largest clubs in the country dedicated to the study of

Robert Browning Robert Browning (7 May 1812 – 12 December 1889) was an English poet and playwright whose dramatic monologues put him high among the Victorian poets. He was noted for irony, characterization, dark humour, social commentary, historical settings ...

, and would become a widely known authority and lecturer on the poet. She first became an advocate for

women's suffrage Women's suffrage is the right of women to vote in elections. Beginning in the start of the 18th century, some people sought to change voting laws to allow women to vote. Liberal political parties would go on to grant women the right to vot ...

in 1892. She took an active part meeting, organizing, and speaking during the 1894 New York Constitutional Convention, speaking together with

Susan B. Anthony Susan B. Anthony (born Susan Anthony; February 15, 1820 – March 13, 1906) was an American social reformer and women's rights activist who played a pivotal role in the women's suffrage movement. Born into a Quaker family committed to so ...

and

Anna Howard Shaw Anna Howard Shaw (February 14, 1847 – July 2, 1919) was a leader of the women's suffrage movement in the United States. She was also a physician and one of the first ordained female Methodist ministers in the United States. Early life Shaw ...

. She served as secretary, vice-president, and president of the New York State Suffrage Association, and was a member of the National Suffrage Association, Syracuse Suffrage Society, New York State

Grange Grange may refer to: Buildings * Grange House, Scotland, built in 1564, and demolished in 1906 * Grange Estate, Pennsylvania, built in 1682 * Monastic grange, a farming estate belonging to a monastery Geography Australia * Grange, South Austral ...

, and the

American Association of University Women The American Association of University Women (AAUW), officially founded in 1881, is a non-profit organization that advances equity for women and girls through advocacy, education, and research. The organization has a nationwide network of 170,000 ...

. Mills was never married. She initially worked as a schoolteacher. She later worked as a paid statewide organizer for the suffrage movement. After the 19th Amendment extended the vote to women in 1920, she turned her attention to bringing women into political life. She was a delegate to the

1920 Democratic National Convention Nineteen or 19 may refer to: * 19 (number), the natural number following 18 and preceding 20 * one of the years 19 BC, AD 19, 1919, 2019 Films * ''19'' (film), a 2001 Japanese film * ''Nineteen'' (film), a 1987 science fiction film Music ...

, and in the

1920 New York state election The 1920 New York state election was held on November 2, 1920, to elect the Governor of New York, governor, the Lieutenant Governor of New York, lieutenant governor, the Secretary of State of New York, secretary state, the New York State Comptroll ...

she was the Democratic candidate for

Secretary of State of New York The secretary of state of New York is a cabinet officer in the government of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York who leads the New York State Department of State, Department of State (NYSDOS). The current secretary of state of New York ...

, making her the first women to run for state office in New York. She became a prominent member of the Democratic Party, working for both

Al Smith 1928 presidential campaign Al Smith, Governor of New York, was a candidate for President of the United States in the 1928 election. His run was notable in that he was the first Catholic nominee of a major party, he opposed Prohibition, and he enjoyed broad appeal among w ...

and Franklin Delano Roosevelt's presidential election. She was a

presidential elector The United States Electoral College is the group of presidential electors required by the Constitution to form every four years for the sole purpose of appointing the president and vice president. Each state and the District of Columbia appo ...

for Roosevelt in the 1932 presidential election. She was friends with Franklin and

Eleanor Roosevelt Anna Eleanor Roosevelt () (October 11, 1884November 7, 1962) was an American political figure, diplomat, and activist. She was the first lady of the United States from 1933 to 1945, during her husband President Franklin D. Roosevelt's four ...

, and was an honored guest at the 1933 inauguration. In 1923, she was appointed the first woman

New York State Hospital Commission The New York State Hospital Commission is a subdivision of the New York State Department of Health. It was called the State Commission in Lunacy from 1895 to 1912. History In 1894 New York State adopted the New York State Constitution. It took effe ...

er. Mills died at Crouse-Irving Hospital from a chronic heart illness on May 15, 1935. She was buried in the North Pitcher Cemetery in

Pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw ...

. The

Harriet May Mills House The Harriet May Mills House or Harriet May Mills Residence is a historic home on the west side of Syracuse, New York. It was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 2002. Extensive information on the restoration of the home and its ...

in Syracuse is listed in the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

References

External links

Harriet May Mills: Women's Rights Advocate and LeaderHarriet May Mills
at ''

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'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Mills, Harriet May 1857 births 1936 deaths Cornell University alumni American suffragists New York (state) Democrats 1932 United States presidential electors Burials in New York (state) Activists from Syracuse, New York 20th-century American women politicians Politicians from Syracuse, New York New York State Hospital Commission 20th-century American politicians