Her March to Democracy
Welcome to Her March To Democracy where we're telling stories along the National Votes For Women Trail. The trail chronicles the fight for voting rights for women. If you are a historian, history enthusiast, heritage tourist, or simply want to be inspired, listen to the stories of these remarkable and heroic activists who never wavered in their belief in democracy and the rule of law.
Her March to Democracy
S01 E10 Tennessee: The Fight To Become The Perfect 36
In this episode, Paula Casey discusses the stories of the suffrage struggle in Tennessee.
We talk about the activists in the TN campaign:
- Juno Frankie Pierce and Dr. Mattie Coleman aided 2,000 African American women to vote in Nashville after the state partial suffrage law passed in 1919.
- Joseph Hanover–a Polish Jewish immigrant–was key to organizing the final dramatic victory in the legislature.
- Lide Smith Meriwether wrote an 1895 petition demanding the women's vote and status as independent citizens.
- Anne Dallas Dudley organized suffrage leagues in the state as well as the largest suffrage parade in Nashville in 1916.
- The “Suffrage Day” baseball game in 1916 in Nashville hosted the suffragist governor and featured players with yellow sashes around their waists.
ABOUT OUR GUEST
Paula Casey has spent more than 30 years educating the public about Tennessee's role in ratifying the 19th Amendment. She has helped place suffragist public art across Tennessee and published the book, The Perfect 36: Tennessee Delivers Woman Suffrage. She co-founded the Tennessee Woman Suffrage Heritage Trail.
Links to People, Places, Publications
- Tennessee and the 19th Amendment (here)
- TN Woman Suffrage Heritage Trail (here)
- Lide Smith Meriwether Biosketch (here)
- Visit the Equality Trailblazers monument (here)
- Joseph Hanover Biosketch (here)
- Visit the Joseph Hanover marker (here)
- Lizzie Crozier French Biosketch (here)
- Visit the Lizzie Crozier French marker in Knoxville (here)
- Juno Frankie Pierce Biosketch (here)
- Dr. Mattie Coleman Biosketch (here)
- Visit the Dr. Mattie Coleman marker in Nashville (here)
- Anne Dallas Dudley Biosketch (here)
- Visit the TN Woman Suffrage Monument (here)
CM Marihugh is a public history consultant and currently conducting independent research for a book on commemoration of the U.S. women’s suffrage movement. She has an M.A. in Public History from State University of New York, and an M.B.A. from Dartmouth College.
Learn more about:
- National Votes for Women Trail (here)
- National Votes for Women Trail - William G. Pomeroy historical markers (here)
- National Collaborative for Women’s History Sites (here)
Do you have a question, comment, or suggestion? Get in touch! Send an e-mail to NVWTpodcast@ncwhs.org