Primary Sources: U.S. Constitution: 19th Amendment

Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton signed this appeal, from the National Woman Suffrage Association, to dedicate the nation’s second century to “securing justice to Woman.” It asked women to gather signatures and send them in to make “ the largest petition ever yet.”

In this petition to Congress, Kate Cornell requests a relief from her political disabilities. This petition was part of a petition drive organized by the National Woman Suffrage Association (NWSA) calling for a constitutional amendment that would give women the right to vote. The petition closely follows a template provided by NWSA (an example of this type is the Petition of Dr. Clemence Lozier). The organization encouraged women to personalize their messages to Congress by including their personal reasons for desiring the the right to vote. In her petition, Kate Cornell argues that women have been oppressed by man-made laws and that women should have a voice in making laws. She also expresses a desire to have a say in what is done with the taxes she pays.

This is one of two types of petitions to Congress circulated by the National Woman Suffrage Association during a petition drive for a constitutional amendment that would relieve women of their “political disabilities” by granting them the right to vote. This template was intended to be completed by an individual, as Dr. Clemence Lozier has done in this document. However, the instructions for this petition (not included with this document) encouraged women to personalize their message to Congress.