The Leslie Woman Suffrage Commission was an American

woman'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 ...

organization formed by

Carrie Chapman Catt Carrie Chapman Catt (; January 9, 1859 Fowler, p. 3 – March 9, 1947) was an American women's suffrage leader who campaigned for the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which gave U.S. women the right to vote in 1920. Catt ...

in March 1917 in New York City, based on funds willed for the purpose by publisher

Miriam Leslie Miriam Leslie (née Folline; after first marriage, Peacock; after second marriage, Squier; after third marriage, Leslie; after fourth marriage, Wilde; claimed title, Baroness de Bazus; June 5, 1836 – September 18, 1914) was an American publisher ...

. The organization helped promote the cause of suffrage through increasing awareness of the issue and through education. It established a 25-person press bureau that provided materials to newspapers across the country on this issue. This bureau also developed and distributed pamphlets to identify candidates for office who opposed women's suffrage. It was estimated that around $933,728.88 of the funds left by Leslie went directly to the cause of women's suffrage. The Commission was dissolved in 1929, after passage of the 19th Amendment that enfranchised women. They voted for the first time in a presidential election in 1920.

About

When

died in 1914, she stipulated in her

will Will may refer to: Common meanings * Will and testament, instructions for the disposition of one's property after death * Will (philosophy), or willpower * Will (sociology) * Will, volition (psychology) * Will, a modal verb - see Shall and will ...

that

should be a residual legatee, and receive money to promote and continue her work towards

. Leslie wanted Catt to decided how best to use the money. The will was contested by Leslie's family. Catt found a lawyer who would take the case on a contingency basis, willing to wait for payment until the case was won. The court awarded Catt $500,000 from Leslie's will in February 1917. Later, jewels belonging to Leslie and appraised at $34,785 were also given to Catt. She organized the Leslie Woman Suffrage Commission from a meeting with suffrage leaders in New York in March 1917. The commission was headed by Catt and the secretary and treasurer was Gratia Goller. At the first meeting the women created

by-law A by-law (bye-law, by(e)law, by(e) law), or as it is most commonly known in the United States bylaws, is a set of rules or law established by an organization or community so as to regulate itself, as allowed or provided for by some higher authorit ...

s for the organization. They also discussed how to use the $500,000 that Catt was given. The commission promoted woman's suffrage by educating the public on this issue; it was affiliated with the

National American Woman Suffrage Association The National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA) was an organization formed on February 18, 1890, to advocate in favor of women's suffrage in the United States. It was created by the merger of two existing organizations, the National ...

(NAWSA). Rose Young was tasked with creating a bureau for the Leslie Commission to provide frequent press-releases to newspapers about the work of

suffragists Suffrage, political franchise, or simply franchise, is the right to vote in public, political elections and referendums (although the term is sometimes used for any right to vote). In some languages, and occasionally in English, the right to v ...

in the United States. The bureau was staffed with 25 people and was located in New York City on the fifteenth floor of a building at 171

Madison Avenue Madison Avenue is a north-south avenue in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, United States, that carries northbound one-way traffic. It runs from Madison Square (at 23rd Street) to meet the southbound Harlem River Drive at 142nd Stre ...

. The bureau also compiled statistics relating to suffrage, answered questions from the public, printed interviews with suffragists, and ways to challenge

anti-suffragists Anti-suffragism was a political movement composed of both men and women that began in the late 19th century in order to campaign against women's suffrage in countries such as Australia, Canada, Ireland, the United Kingdom and the United States. To ...

. The Leslie Commission bureau also supported the publishing of ''

The Woman Citizen ''Woman's Journal'' was an American women's rights periodical published from 1870 to 1931. It was founded in 1870 in Boston, Massachusetts, by Lucy Stone and her husband Henry Browne Blackwell as a weekly newspaper. In 1917 it was purchased by ...

'' journal. The group also created informational pamphlets for distribution in political races with candidates who opposed women having the vote. According to the ''

Arizona Republic ''The Arizona Republic'' is an American daily newspaper published in Phoenix. Circulated throughout Arizona, it is the state's largest newspaper. Since 2000, it has been owned by the Gannett newspaper chain. Copies are sold at $2 daily or at $3 ...

'' in 1920, the Leslie Commission had the "world's largest propaganda bureau run by women." After the 19th Amendment to the US Constitution was passed, women first voted in a presidential election in 1920. The Leslie Commission worked to support women's suffrage movements in other countries. It also purchased books about the history of women's suffrage and donated them to public libraries in the United States. The Commission was dissolved by its board on October 1, 1929.

Notable members

Alice Stone Blackwell Alice Stone Blackwell (September 14, 1857 – March 15, 1950) was an American feminist, suffragist, journalist, radical socialist, and human rights advocate. Early life and education Blackwell was born in East Orange, New Jersey to Henry Browne ...

Mary Garrett Hay Mary "Mollie" Garrett Hay (August 20, 1857 – August 29, 1928) was an American suffragist and community organizer. She served as president of the Women's City Club of New York, the Woman Suffrage Party and the New York Equal Suffrage League. ...

Anna Pennybacker Anna J. Hardwicke Pennybacker, known publicly after her marriage as Mrs. Percy V. Pennybacker, was the president of the American General Federation of Women's Clubs in the early 20th century, a Chautauqua speaker and a leader in the women's suffrag ...

* Margaret Drier Robins *

Harriet Taylor Upton Harriet Taylor Upton (December 17, 1853 – November 2, 1945) was an American political activist and author. Upton is best remembered as a leading Ohio state and national figure in the struggle for women's right to vote and as the first woman t ...

References

Sources

External links

The Record of the Leslie Woman Suffrage Commission, Inc.
{{Authority control 1917 establishments in New York (state) 1929 disestablishments in New York (state) Women's suffrage advocacy groups in the United States Women's organizations based in the United States Women in New York City

About

Notable members

See also

References

Sources

External links