SorosisSorosis was the first professional women's club in the United States. It was established in March 1868 in New York City by Jane Cunningham Croly. Origin of the nameSorosis is a latinate word meaning 'aggregation' (from the Greek sōros, meaning ‘heap’). Its object was to further the educational and social activities of women by bringing representative women of accomplishment in art, literature, science, and kindred pursuits.
General Federation of Women's Clubs HeadquartersThe General Federation of Women's Clubs Headquarters, also known as the Miles Mansion, is located in Washington, D.C. Built as a private residence in 1875, it has served as the headquarters of GFWC since 1922. It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1991 for its association with the federation.
Jane Cunningham CrolyJane Cunningham Croly (néeCunningham; December 19, 1829 – December 23, 1901) was an American author and journalist, better known by her pseudonym, Jennie June. She was a pioneer author and editor of women's columns in leading newspapers and magazines in New York. She founded the Sorosis club for women in New York in 1868 and in 1889 expanded it nationwide to the General Federation of Women's Clubs. She also founded the Woman's Press Club of New York City.
Charlotte Emerson BrownCharlotte Emerson Brown (April 21, 1838 – February 5, 1895) was an American woman notable as the creator and first president of the General Federation of Women's Clubs (GFWC), a progressive women's movement in America beginning in the 1890s. During her presidency, membership expanded quickly from 50 cultural clubs to several hundred, and grew to representing tens of thousands of women. She was instrumental in the GFWC's formation of state-level organizations.
Women's club movement in the United StatesWomen's social movementFive women officers of the Women's League in Newport, Rhode Island, c. 1899The club movement is an American women's social movement that started in the mid-19th century and spread throughout the United States. It established the idea that women had a moral duty and responsibility to transform public policy. While women's organizations had existed earlier, it was not until the Progressive era (1896–1917) that they came to be considered a movement.
Edith Brake WestEdith Brake West (born June 18, 1885) was an American educator. She conducted a ground-breaking survey of county organizations which was recognized by the National Federation of Women's Clubs.
Unity in diversityUnity in diversity is used as an expression of harmony and unity between dissimilar individuals or groups. It is a concept of "unity without uniformity and diversity without fragmentation" that shifts focus from unity based on a mere tolerance of physical, cultural, linguistic, social, religious, political, ideological and/or psychological differences towards a more complex unity based on an understanding that difference enriches human interactions.
Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C., officially the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington, is the capital city of the United States, and its only federal district. The city stands on the north-east bank of the Potomac River, across from the state of Virginia, surrounded by Maryland to its north, east, and south. The district was named for Columbia, the female personification of the American nation, through which human form and attributes are applied to the United States.
Woman's Christian Temperance UnionThe Woman's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) is an international temperance organization. It was among the first organizations of women devoted to social reform with a program that "linked the religious and the secular through concerted and far-reaching reform strategies based on applied Christianity." It plays an influential role in the temperance movement.
ProgressivismPolitical philosophy in support of progress and reformProgressivism is a political philosophy that seeks to make progress in the human condition through reforms aimed at increasing positive liberty. Progressivism arose during the Age of Enlightenment out of the belief that civility in Europe was improving due to the application of new empirical knowledge.Josephine St. Pierre RuffinJosephine St. Pierre Ruffin (née St. Pierre; August 31, 1842 – March 13, 1924) was a publisher, journalist, civil rights leader, suffragist, abolitionist, and editor of the Woman's Era, the first national newspaper published by and for African American women.*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.