Maria Mitchell In Her Own Words

Jascin N. Leonardo Finger • March 1, 2021

1875, March 7. Went to a picnic for Women Suffrage at a beautiful Grove at Medfield. It was a gathering of simple country folk, a club of 75 persons from Needham, whose President, a Mrs. Le Croix, seemed to be vigorous and good spirited.


The main purpose of the meeting was to try to affect public sentiment to such an extent as to lead to the defeat of a Mr. Ide, who, when the subject of Woman Suffrage was before the Legislature, said that the women had all they wanted now; that they could get anything with “their eyes as bright as buttons upon an angel’s coat . . . .”


Oh me, oh my. Though I am not at all surprised – it was 1875. While horribly upsetting, women still had no rights at this point and it was not until 1920 that the Nineteenth Amendment came along – and that right to vote was extended to white women only – not people of color whether they be female or male. Maria was active in the suffrage movement – and the salves’ rights movement – though within women’s suffrage her push was always for women’s education and women in the sciences – her founding of the Science Committee which she chaired for life for the Association for the Advancement of Woman underscores that belief.


March is Women’s History Month!


JNLF


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