Susie Martin, Class of 1911, Letter to Mother, 1908
Dublin Core
Source
MHC Archives
Title
Susie Martin, Class of 1911, Letter to Mother, 1908
Description
In a letter to her mother postmarked October 25, Susie ‘11 mentions attending a mock Republican Convention. She notes that “[a]ll the girls were dressed like men, and had wigs + beards” to impersonate various candidates. Students dressed as convention attendees including Carrie Nation, Howard Taft, Nicholas and Alice Longworth, and Theodore Roosevelt. Carrie Nation was a militant member of the temperance movement, so the student dressed as her included physical actions: after seeing “a pitcher of wine on the table… Carrie Nation broke it with her hatchet. Quite exciting.” The students’ commitment to their roles displays not only an awareness of politics, but a deep interest and understanding of the prominent figures and platforms at a time when women were still a dozen years from the vote.
Date
October 25, 1908
Contributor
Susie Martin
Format
Paper
Language
English
Type
Letter
Identifier
case01_votes_002
Text Item Type Metadata
Text
We had a Republican Convention last week in the gym. All the girls were dressed like men, and had wigs + beards. On the platform were Theodore Roosevelt (the girl looked exactly like him) Taft, Carrie Nation, & Mr & Mrs. Longworth. Mrs. Longworth wore a sheath-gown and smoked a cigarette which quite shocked Carrie Nation. There was a pitcher of wine on the table and Carrie Nation broke it with her hatchet. Quite exciting. (Pages 4-5)
Original Format
Letter
Collection
Citation
“Susie Martin, Class of 1911, Letter to Mother, 1908,” Digital Exhibits of the Archives and Special Collections, accessed September 24, 2023, https://ascdc.mtholyoke.edu/items/show/3762.