Circular Letter from the Woman's Protest Committee on the Statehood Bill
10/22/1904
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This letter calls upon American women's organizations to write to the Senators from their home states, as well as the members of the Committee on Territories. It points out the wording of a statehood bill before Congress that would admit Oklahoma and Indian Territory (as one state) and Arizona and New Mexico (as one state) into the union.
The bill "would allow these States, when organized, to disfranchise minors, criminals, lunatics, non-residents, ignoramuses and women." It suggests that the word sex be stricken so that women are not included in the grouping. The letter says: "It is true that in many States women have been tacitly ranked with these defective delinquent and dependent classes, but never before has the insult been so open and flagrant."
The letter notes that it was was authorized by women from the following organizations: General Federation of Women's Clubs, National American Woman Suffrage Association, National Council of Women, National Council of Jewish Women, National American Woman Suffrage Association, National Teachers' Federation, National Women's Temperance Union, National Catholic Woman's League, Arizona Woman Suffrage Association, National Ladies of the Grand Army of the Republic, California Woman's Suffrage Association, California Woman Suffrage Association, International Council of Women, Woman's Relief Corps and Eastern Star, National Lutheran Woman's League, National Congress of Mothers, and National Woman's Christian Temperance Union.
This document was digitized by teachers in our Primarily Teaching 2017 summer workshop in Washington, D.C.
The bill "would allow these States, when organized, to disfranchise minors, criminals, lunatics, non-residents, ignoramuses and women." It suggests that the word sex be stricken so that women are not included in the grouping. The letter says: "It is true that in many States women have been tacitly ranked with these defective delinquent and dependent classes, but never before has the insult been so open and flagrant."
The letter notes that it was was authorized by women from the following organizations: General Federation of Women's Clubs, National American Woman Suffrage Association, National Council of Women, National Council of Jewish Women, National American Woman Suffrage Association, National Teachers' Federation, National Women's Temperance Union, National Catholic Woman's League, Arizona Woman Suffrage Association, National Ladies of the Grand Army of the Republic, California Woman's Suffrage Association, California Woman Suffrage Association, International Council of Women, Woman's Relief Corps and Eastern Star, National Lutheran Woman's League, National Congress of Mothers, and National Woman's Christian Temperance Union.
This document was digitized by teachers in our Primarily Teaching 2017 summer workshop in Washington, D.C.
This primary source comes from the Records of the U.S. Senate.
National Archives Identifier: 74884489
Full Citation: Circular Letter from the Woman's Protest Committee on the Statehood Bill; 10/22/1904; Tabled Petitions and Memorials of the 58th Congress; (SEN58A-K2); Petitions and Related Documents That Were Presented, Read, or Tabled, 1789 - 1966; Records of the U.S. Senate, Record Group 46; National Archives Building, Washington, DC. [Online Version, https://docsteach.org/documents/document/womans-protest-committee, April 22, 2025]Rights: Public Domain, Free of Known Copyright Restrictions. Learn more on our privacy and legal page.
