The Talk of Allie's Town: Women's Suffrage Hot Issue in 1874 Ypsilanti

First in a series examining hot topics in the Ypsilanti Commercial newspaper during the period of 1874 Ypsilanti teen Allie McCullough's diary.

Though most of us associate women's suffrage with 1920, Allie's 1874 Ypsilanti was abuzz with the topic. Even local ministers thundered out from the pulpit, as reported above in this Commercial story from May 9, 1874.

"Rev. Mr. Boyden, In just a brief telling sentence, last Sunday morning, indicated his views upon the suffrage question, scathingly rebuking 'the senseless distinctions made between the sexes.' A large proportion of our ministry, especially in the Methodist and Baptist churches, are in favor of women's suffrage."

The Commercial took a stand in favor of the issue too. Concerning a large suffrage convention in Lansing at this time, the paper apologizes in its May 9, 1874 edition (excerpted above) for not sending someone to cover the meeting. The paper vows, perhaps just a tad unconvincingly, that but for a spell of bad health, "we could not have been hired to keep away from the suffrage convention in Lansing."

Also in May 1874, the Commercial reprinted a pro-suffrage op-ed (at left) from the Women's Journal. After several stirring sentences about equality, the article unravels a bit at the end. In enumerating the reasons why Michigan is ready for suffrage, the author concludes, somewhat mysteriously, with "The great majority of the men and women of Michigan live in their own houses, and on their own land, and call no landlord master."

Perhaps the writer was trying to draw a parallel between "old" societies dominated by feudalistic relationships in society and unbalanced hierarchies in the home and a new, more enlightened Michigan society.




Of course, then, as now, advertisers didn't hestitate to milk a current issue in order to sell merch, as in this May 30, 1874 Commercial ad.

"Our Lady Readers will notice in today's advertisement that Williams & Co offer them another magnificent chance, only this time it is embroideries instead of ribbons. This firm are bound to enable the ladies in their purchase to save enough to donate liberally to the grand cause of Woman Suffrage, in the success of which, as lovers of their country and its ennobling, every intelligent woman should be devoutly interested."

In other words, women should support suffrage by buying a girly doodad.

Allie likely overheard gossip and opinions all around her on the topic of women's suffrage. What did she think of it all?