Ida Husted Harper
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Ida Husted Harper (February 18, 1851 – March 14, 1931) was an American author, journalist, columnist, and
suffragist Suffrage, political franchise, or simply franchise is the right to vote in public, political elections and referendums (although the term is sometimes used for any right to vote). In some languages, and occasionally in English, the right to vo ...
, as well as the author of a three-volume biography of suffrage leader Susan B. Anthony at Anthony's request. Harper also co-edited and collaborated with Anthony on volume four (1902) of the six-volume ''
History of Woman Suffrage ''History of Woman Suffrage'' is a book that was produced by Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony, Matilda Joslyn Gage and Ida Husted Harper. Published in six volumes from 1881 to 1922, it is a history of the women's suffrage movement, ...
'' and completed the project by solo writing volumes five and six (1922) after Anthony's death. In addition, Harper served as secretary of the
Indiana Indiana ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Michigan to the northwest, Michigan to the north and northeast, Ohio to the east, the Ohio River and Kentucky to the s ...
chapter of the
National Woman Suffrage Association The National Woman Suffrage Association (NWSA) was formed on May 15, 1869, to work for women's suffrage in the United States. Its main leaders were Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton. It was created after the women's rights movement spl ...
, became a prominent figure in the women's suffrage movement in the U.S., and wrote columns on women's issues for numerous newspapers across the United States. Harper traveled extensively, delivered lectures in support of women's rights, handled press relations for a women's suffrage amendment in
California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
, headed the
National American Woman Suffrage Association The National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA) was an organization formed on February 18, 1890, to advocate in favor of women's suffrage in the United States. It was created by the merger of two existing organizations, the National Woma ...
's national press bureau in
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and the editorial correspondence department of the Leslie Bureau of Suffrage Education in
Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...
, and chaired the press committee of the
International Council of Women The International Council of Women (ICW) is a women's organization working across national boundaries for the common cause of advocating women's rights, human rights for women. In March and April 1888, women leaders came together in Washington D.C ...
.


Early life and education

Ida A. Husted was born on February 18, 1851, in
Fairfield Township, Franklin County, Indiana Fairfield Township is one of thirteen townships in Franklin County, Indiana. As of the 2020 census, its population was 473, down from 537 at 2010. Geography According to the 2010 census, the township has a total area of , of which (or 84.2 ...
. "Of
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parentage","Mrs. Ida A. Harper," in she was the eldest of Cassandra (Stoddard) and John Arthur Husted's three children. Her religious affiliation was Unitarian.Philips, p. 139. Around 1861, when Husted was about ten years old, the family moved to
Muncie, Indiana Muncie ( ) is a city in Delaware County, Indiana, United States, and its county seat. It is located in East Central Indiana about northeast of Indianapolis. At the 2020 census, the city's population was 65,195, down from 70,085 in the 2010 c ...
, in search of better schools. "She showed in childhood a remarkable memory and marked literary talent. Her education was almost wholly received in private schools," although she graduated in from Muncie High School, a local public school. Husted entered
Indiana University Indiana University (IU) is a state university system, system of Public university, public universities in the U.S. state of Indiana. The system has two core campuses, five regional campuses, and two regional centers under the administration o ...
in
Bloomington, Indiana Bloomington is a city in Monroe County, Indiana, United States, and its county seat. The population was 79,168 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is the List of municipalities in Indiana, seventh-most populous city in Indiana and ...
, enrolling as a
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, but left in 1869 to become an educator and high school principal in
Peru, Indiana Peru is a city in, and the county seat of, Miami County, Indiana, Miami County, Indiana, United States. It is north of Indianapolis. The population was 11,073 at the 2020 census, making it the most populous community in Miami County. Peru is loc ...
.Sandra Opdycke, "Ida Husted Harper," in


Marriage and family

On December 28, 1871, Husted married Thomas Winans Harper (1847–1908), a
University of Michigan The University of Michigan (U-M, U of M, or Michigan) is a public university, public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest institution of higher education in the state. The University of Mi ...
law school graduate and an
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veteran from
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. The couple established their home in
Terre Haute, Indiana Terre Haute ( ) is a city in Vigo County, Indiana, United States, and its county seat. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a population of 58,389 and Terre Haute metropolitan area, its metropolitan area had a populati ...
, where he practiced law, was elected city attorney in 1879, and served for nearly twenty years as the chief legal counsel for the
Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen The Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen and Enginemen (B of LF&E) was a North American Rail transport, railroad fraternal benefit society and trade union in the 19th and 20th centuries. The organization began in 1873 as the Brotherhood of Locomotiv ...
, a railroad union established by Eugene V. Debs, a
socialist Socialism is an economic ideology, economic and political philosophy encompassing diverse Economic system, economic and social systems characterised by social ownership of the means of production, as opposed to private ownership. It describes ...
leader who also lived in Terre Haute. At her initiative, Harper and her husband divorced in February 1890. The Harpers had one child, a daughter named Winnifred.Jones, p. 98. Like her mother, Winnifred Harper Cooley became a writer and journalist.Philips, p. 140.


Career

Harper began her prolific career as a journalist and women's suffrage advocate in
Indiana Indiana ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Michigan to the northwest, Michigan to the north and northeast, Ohio to the east, the Ohio River and Kentucky to the s ...
. After securing a divorce in 1890 she later moved on to
California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
,
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, and
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, where she continued to write for newspapers across the country, deliver lectures in support of women's rights, and complete her major works, a three-volume biography, ''The Life and Work of Susan B. Anthony'', and contributing to volumes four through six of the six-volume ''
History of Woman Suffrage ''History of Woman Suffrage'' is a book that was produced by Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony, Matilda Joslyn Gage and Ida Husted Harper. Published in six volumes from 1881 to 1922, it is a history of the women's suffrage movement, ...
''.


Indiana

Harper moved to Terre Haute, Indiana, with her husband after their marriage in 1871 and soon began her career as a journalist. Although her husband disapproved, she began writing articles for the ''Terre Haute Saturday Evening Mail'', initially submitting her early articles in the early 1870s under the male
pseudonym A pseudonym (; ) or alias () is a fictitious name that a person assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from their original or true meaning ( orthonym). This also differs from a new name that entirely or legally replaces an individual's o ...
of "Mrs. John Smith." Her own name did not appear with her writings until September 1881.Gugin and St. Clair, eds., p. 156. Harper's early writings also appeared in
Indianapolis Indianapolis ( ), colloquially known as Indy, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Indiana, most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana, Marion ...
newspapers. For thirteen years Harper wrote a column called "A Woman's Thoughts:, later named "A Woman's Opinions", for the ''Terre Haute Saturday Evening Mail'' that generally discussed traditional women's topics such as marriage, family, education, careers, food, and fashion, but her columns also discussed major issued such as temperance, women's rights, and women's suffrage. Harper's views on women's roles slowly evolved over time. Her writings often provided varied and conflicting views on marriage, household responsibilities, women in the workforce, and the value of education for women; however, she remained steadfast in her assertion that women had "the right to pursue whatever vocation in life she is best adapted for. . . ." Harper met Susan B. Anthony, a leader of the
National Woman Suffrage Association The National Woman Suffrage Association (NWSA) was formed on May 15, 1869, to work for women's suffrage in the United States. Its main leaders were Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton. It was created after the women's rights movement spl ...
(NWSA), in 1878, when Debs sponsored Anthony's speech in Terre Haute. At that time the NWSA was one of two rival women's suffrage organizations that later merged into the
National American Woman Suffrage Association The National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA) was an organization formed on February 18, 1890, to advocate in favor of women's suffrage in the United States. It was created by the merger of two existing organizations, the National Woma ...
under Anthony's leadership. The Harper and Anthony soon became friends and colleagues. From 1884 to 1893, at Debs's invitation, Harper also edited "The Woman's Department," a monthly column in ''Locomotive Firemen's Magazine'', the house organ of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen. In addition, Harper continued her advocacy for women's suffrage, including her election in 1887 as secretary of the Indiana chapter of the NWSA. In that capacity she coordinated thirteen district conventions in a drive to pass a statewide bill to allow women to vote in municipal elections. In 1889 Harper was invited to take an editorial position at the Terre Haute ''Daily News''. Two weeks after her divorce in 1890, she became the newspaper's managing editor, one of the first instance on record of a woman occupying the position of managing editor on a political daily paper. Although her service as editor-in-chief was brief, she led the newspaper through a lively municipal election. Harper and the newspaper successfully supported a bipartisan slate of reform candidates in the city election. During the campaign she wrote editorials and dictated the newspaper's positions, with each candidate on the bipartisan slate elected to office. Harper resigned from the job in Terre Haute in May 1890 to move to Indianapolis to be with her daughter, Winnifred, who was attending the Girls' Classical School, a college preparatory school founded in 1881 by May Wright Sewall and her husband, Theodore Sewall. (May Wrigh Sewall, the school's principal, was also chair of the NWSA's executive committee.) While her daughter attended school, Harper worked for two years on the editorial staff of the ''
Indianapolis News The ''Indianapolis News'' was an evening newspaper published for 130 years, beginning December 7, 1869, and ending on October 1, 1999. The "Great Hoosier Daily," as it was known, at one time held the largest circulation in the state of Indiana. ...
'', a newspaper to which she continued to contribute long after her departure from Indiana.


California

By 1893 Harper had moved to California to join her daughter at
Stanford University Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University, is a Private university, private research university in Stanford, California, United States. It was founded in 1885 by railroad magnate Leland Stanford (the eighth ...
. Harper also enrolled at Stanford, but did not earn a degree. In 1896, while living in California she also joined the National American Woman Suffrage Association and became head of press relations for the NAWSA's campaign for a women's suffrage amendment in the state. The legislative effort failed, but Harper's friendship with Susan B. Anthony led to an invitation to assist Anthony with her writing.Gugin and St. Clair, eds., p. 158. Anthony praised Harper's writing abilities, saying, "The moment I give the idea—the point—she formulates it into a good sentence—while I should have to haggle over it half an hour."


New York

In 1897 Anthony asked Harper to come to New York to write her official biography. Harper moved into Anthony's home in
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, to sort through her papers and distill them into what eventually became a three-volume biography, ''The Life and Work of Susan B. Anthony''. According to Harper's biography of Anthony, she found at Anthony's home "two large rooms filled, from floor to ceiling, with material of a personal and historical nature." In collaboration with Anthony, Harper published the first two volumes of the biography in 1898. Harper wrote the third volume, which was published in 1908, two years after Anthony's death. Harper also worked with Anthony to write and edit the fourth volume, published in 1902, of the six-volume ''
History of Woman Suffrage ''History of Woman Suffrage'' is a book that was produced by Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony, Matilda Joslyn Gage and Ida Husted Harper. Published in six volumes from 1881 to 1922, it is a history of the women's suffrage movement, ...
''. Harper was solo author of the fifth and sixth volumes, which were published in 1922. Also: Around the turn of the century Harper spent several years traveling extensively with Anthony, attending women's rights gatherings and delivering lectures. Harper also wrote for a large number of newspapers, including the ''Christian Union'', '' Western Christian Advocate'', ''Advance'', ''
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'', ''
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'', the ''
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''," the ''
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'', the '' Boston Evening Traveller'', '' The Cleveland Leader'', the '' Indianapolis Journal'' and the Terre Haute ''Gazette and Express''. Harper's weekly syndicated columns appeared in newspapers in several major cities, including
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;
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,
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; Indianapolis, Indiana;
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,
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; and Washington, D.C. She also authored a woman's column in ''
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'' from 1899 to 1903 and a regular column titled "Votes for Women" for ''
Harper's Bazaar ''Harper's Bazaar'' (stylized as ''Harper's BAZAAR'') is an American monthly women's fashion magazine. Bazaar has been published in New York City since November 2, 1867, originally as a weekly publication entitled ''Harper's Bazar''."Corporat ...
'' from 1909 to 1913,which helped to make Harper a well-known name in as a newspaper columnist. In addition to Harper's newspaper articles and lectures around the country, she became active in the
International Council of Women The International Council of Women (ICW) is a women's organization working across national boundaries for the common cause of advocating women's rights, human rights for women. In March and April 1888, women leaders came together in Washington D.C ...
, which Anthony had been instrumental in creating. From 1899 to 1902, Harper was chairwoman of the press committee of the ICW and wrote articles for ''International Suffrage News'', which was published in Europe. In 1910 Harper became head of the NAWSA's national press bureau in
New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
, supplying information and developing a market for articles about women's suffrage in magazines and newspapers around the country. She also testified in favor of women's suffrage before U.S. congressional committees.


Washington, D.C.

In 1916 Harper moved to
Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...
, to take charge of editorial correspondence at the Leslie Bureau of Suffrage Education (a part of the NAWSA's Leslie Woman Suffrage Commission) in and effort to improve public understanding of the women's suffrage movement and influence public opinion. Her department was responsible for responding to a steady stream of newspaper editorials about women's suffrage from all over the country, praising the editors when they supported suffrage and trying to answer their objections when they opposed it. The bureau's publicity contributed to the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution in 1919 that guarantees the right of women to vote. After the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment, Harper completed writing the fifth and sixth volumes, published in 1922, of the ''History of Woman Suffrage''.


Later years

An active member of the
American Association of University Women The American Association of University Women (AAUW), officially founded in 1881, is a non-profit organization that advances Justice, equity for women and girls through advocacy, education, and research. The organization has a nationwide Social net ...
, she made her home in the last years of her life in that organization's headquarters building in Washington, D.C.


Death and legacy

Harper died in Washington, D.C., on March 14, 1931, following a
cerebral hemorrhage Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), also known as hemorrhagic stroke, is a sudden bleeding into the tissues of the brain (i.e. the parenchyma), into its ventricles, or into both. An ICH is a type of bleeding within the skull and one kind of stro ...
at the age of 80. Her remains are interred at Muncie, Indiana. Harper's major legacy include the three-volume ''The Life and Work of Susan B. Anthony'', her contributions to volumes four through six of the ''History of Woman's Suffrage, '' and the newspaper columns and magazine articles from the 1870s through the 1920s that outline her changing views on women's rights. Scholars familiar with Harper's life and work suggest that she was a product of her time, arguing that the contradictory content of her writings suggest Harper's views on women's rights evolved as she became more independent and active in the women's suffrage movement. Harper continued to pursue her career as a journalist despite her husband's objections. After she sought and secured a divorce at the age of thirty-nine, Harper struck out on her own, moved away from her long-time home in Indiana, and reestablished herself as a prolific writer and women's rights advocate in California, New York, and Washington, D.C. The Archives and Manuscripts Division of the
New York Public Library The New York Public Library (NYPL) is a public library system in New York City. With nearly 53 million items and 92 locations, the New York Public Library is the second-largest public library in the United States behind the Library of Congress a ...
holds a collection of Harper's papers. Other collections of her newspaper articles and other related material are in the special collections of the
Huntington Library The Huntington Library, Art Museum and Botanical Gardens, known as The Huntington, is a collections-based educational and research institution established by Henry E. Huntington and Arabella Huntington in San Marino, California, United State ...
at
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, and the Vigo County Public Library in Terre Haute, Indiana.


Selected published works


Major works

* ''The Life and Work of Susan B. Anthony'', three volumes (1898–1908) * ''
History of Woman Suffrage ''History of Woman Suffrage'' is a book that was produced by Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony, Matilda Joslyn Gage and Ida Husted Harper. Published in six volumes from 1881 to 1922, it is a history of the women's suffrage movement, ...
,'' edited volume four (1902), co-written with Susan B. Anthony;Anna Lutz, "Susan Brownwell Anthony," in See also: solo author of volumes five (1922) and six (1922).


Other

* ''The Associated Work of the Women of Indiana'' (1893) * ''Suffrage a Right'' (1906) * ''Woman Suffrage Throughout the World'' (1907) * ''History of the Movement for Woman Suffrage in the United States'' (1907) * ''How Six States Won Woman Suffrage'' (1912) * ''Suffrage Snapshots'' (1915) * ''A National Amendment for Woman Suffrage'' (1915) * ''A Brief History of the Movement for Woman Suffrage in the United States'' (1917) * ''Story of the National Amendment for Woman Suffrage'' (1919) * ''Life of Dr. Anna Howard Shaw'' (1927)


See also

*
List of suffragists and suffragettes This list of suffragists and suffragettes includes noted individuals active in the worldwide women's suffrage movement who have campaigned or strongly advocated for women's suffrage, the organisations which they formed or joined, and the publi ...
*
List of women's rights activists Notable women's rights activists are as follows, arranged alphabetically by modern country names and by the names of the persons listed: Afghanistan * Amina Azimi – disabled women's rights advocate * Hasina Jalal – women's empowerment activis ...
*
Timeline of women's suffrage Women's suffrage – the right of women to vote – has been achieved at various times in countries throughout the world. In many nations, women's suffrage was granted before universal suffrage, in which cases women and men from certain Social ...
*
Women's suffrage organizations This list of suffragists and suffragettes includes noted individuals active in the worldwide women's suffrage movement who have campaigned or strongly advocated for women's suffrage, the organisations which they formed or joined, and the #Wome ...


Notes


References

* * * * * * * * * Lutz, Anna, "Susan Brownwell Anthony," in * "Mrs. Ida A. Harper," in (attributed to Harper) * Opdycke, Sandra, "Ida Husted Harper,' in * Philips, Clifton J., "Ida A. Husted Harper," in


Further reading

*


External links

* * *
Ida Husted Harper collection of letters and autographs
Rare Books, Special Collections, and Preservation, River Campus Libraries,
University of Rochester The University of Rochester is a private university, private research university in Rochester, New York, United States. It was founded in 1850 and moved into its current campus, next to the Genesee River in 1930. With approximately 30,000 full ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Harper, Ida Husted 1851 births 1931 deaths People from Peru, Indiana Writers from Terre Haute, Indiana 19th-century American biographers 20th-century American biographers 20th-century American women writers American women columnists 20th-century American historians American women biographers 19th-century Unitarians 20th-century Unitarians American Unitarians People from Muncie, Indiana Schoolteachers from Indiana 19th-century American women educators 19th-century American educators American headmistresses 20th-century American journalists 20th-century American women journalists 19th-century American journalists 19th-century American women journalists Journalists from Indiana Editors of Indiana newspapers American political writers Journalists from Washington, D.C. Pseudonymous women writers 20th-century pseudonymous writers 19th-century pseudonymous writers Suffragists from Indiana Suffragists from Washington, D.C. National Woman Suffrage Association activists National American Woman Suffrage Association activists