Nancy Astor

Nancy Astor, Viscountess Astor (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Nancy_Viscountess_Astor_by_John_Singer_Sargent.jpeg (John Singer Sargent))

It is very hard to be a hero. You have to have strength, courage, and be logical. Nancy Astor possessed all three qualities; therefore, she was more than qualified to be a hero to me. She had enough courage to run for a seat in the British Parliament, and enough strength to be able to handle defeat in politics, and yet she remained witty enough to banter with Winston Churchill. From a home of poverty to the first lady to be seated and vote in Parliament, she took England by storm. Even though she was tough as nails and strong enough to stand up and lecture Joseph Stalin to his face, her other side showed that she could easily charm anyone of any race, religion, or party.

Nancy Astor was often known for her sharp wit, ability to charm, and strong opinions. She married Waldorf Astor and later took over his Parliament seat. Constance Markiewicz may have been the first woman elected to the British Parliament but Nancy was the first woman to take the oath. Even though Nancy won her seat by more than 5,000 votes over the other candidates, the male members in Parliament were not pleased and were very rude to her. Nancy is also famous for a two-hour lecture she gave to Joseph Stalin regarding Communism and saying to Winston Churchill, "If I was your wife, I would poison your coffee", while Churchill responded by saying, "If I was your husband I would drink it." Astor campaigned for women's rights and avoiding war with Germany. Her refusal to be bullied and determination to be tough can be seen when she told a crying Winston Churchill that, "It's all very well to cry, Winston, but you've got to do something" when he saw the damage down at Plymouth and the need to follow through with a decision regarding the war. She also campaigned strongly against drinking alcohol, talking freely about its evils.

Nancy Astor actually started out as Nancy Langhorne. She was born on May 19, 1879, in Danville, Virginia, growing up in a family stuck in poverty. When her father finally earned enough money to move the family, the Langhornes moved to a large house in Richmond, Virginia. She married young but she divorced him after four years. Nancy went to England several times for hunting seasons and fell in love with the countryside. After her failed marriage with Robert Gould Shaw, she moved to Cliveden, England. Eventually she settled down there with her second husband, Waldorf Astor.

Waldorf had a seat in the House of Commons but was bumped up to a seat in the House of Lords when his father died, making Waldorf Viscount Astor. This is when Viscountess Nancy Astor made her move and ran for her husband's seat in the House of Commons. Nancy and Waldorf had five children plus one from her previous marriage. Her political career ended in 1945, ending her 25-year reign. Her husband insisted that she not run again, fearing that she would be defeated. She resented the idea but followed her husband's wishes. This caused a big rift in their marriage until Waldorf's death in 1952. She did not stay in England all the time, taking many trips to the Soviet Union with the writer, George Bernard Shaw, and visiting the U.S. quite frequently. Nancy considered England her home until her death in Lincolnshire, England. Nancy Astor died on May 2, 1964, at the age of 84.

Nancy Astor, First Woman in Parliament (http://www.elitismstyle.com/blogazine/the-hall-of-fame-1920.html (LIMELIGHT))

It's hard to be a hero. You have to be courageous, be strong, and witty. I believe that Nancy Astor possessed all these heroic qualities and more. She has made paths for so many important events, like women in America fighting for their right to vote. Nancy paved the road for women's rights and the road for temperance. Without her fight for women's rights, then women would probably still not be able to hold office or vote. I love how aggressive Nancy would get when she was fighting for something she believed in but how she could be charming enough to join two feuding parties together. Nancy Astor is a true heroine to me.