Carrie Chapman Catt

Carrie Chapman Catt (http://www.s9.com/images/portraits/5257_Catt-Carrie-Chapman.jpg)

My hero is Carrie Chapman Catt. She is most known for her suffrage movement work. She was a close colleague of Susan B. Anthony, and was president/founder of many suffrage movements.

On January 9, 1859, in Ripon, Wisconsin, Carrie Clinton Lane was born. She grew up in Charles City, Iowa. After graduating college at Iowa State, she moved on to be a teacher, high school principal, superintendent, and a newspaper reporter. In 1883, she married a newspaper editor and publisher, Leo Chapman. Shortly after marrying, they moved to California, and unfortunately after that, Leo died.

Carrie Chapman Catt (middle) and other suffraists (http://www.lwv.org/AM/Images/Historic_images/pre_1920/pre1923-CarrieChapmanCattmarchNYC.jpg)

Soon after her first husband’s death, she moved back to Iowa, and she married George Catt. Recently after marriage, she joined the Iowa suffrage movement. She worked very hard for the Nineteenth Amendment by being the President of the National American Suffrage Association from 1900-1904 and 1915-1920. She was also the founder of the League of Women Voters and the International Alliance of Women. She did live to see the 19th Amendment ratified and added to the Bill of Rights. Many people looked up to her for her hard work.

She is my hero because I think the suffrage movement was very important, and it means a lot to me, and to the women of this country. Especially the women who can already vote, or are soon to be voters. I also believe that women wouldn’t have enough jobs in this world without the work of these women.

Carrie Chapman Catt died in New Rochelle, New York. Her death occurred on March 9, 1947, from a heart attack. She worked very hard in the suffrage movement. I hope I have inspired you to be a new hero, or at least taught you some things about Carrie Chapman Catt. I know I am going to be more like her by learning more about suffrage movements in different countries.