WW1 Centennial News: Episode #46 - Suffrage in WW1 | Passchendaele ends | Meet Joe Weishaar | "Snapshot" | Travels with Darley | 100C/100M Jackson, MO | Story of service | more..

Highlights

The Suffragists in WWI @ | 01:20

The Battle of Passchendaele ends - Mike Shuster @ | 11:45

Ceremonial Groundbreaking episode announced @ | 16:30

Meet the designer of the National WWI Memorial - Joseph Weishaar @ | 17:30

Speaking WWI - “Snapshot” @ | 24:45

100C/100M in Jackson, MO - Lawson Burgfeld @ | 26:50

“Travels with Darley” on the Western Front - Darley Newman @ | 33:25

Native American Story of Service - Nick Brokeshoulder @ | 39:00

The Buzz - Katherine Akey @ | 48:50

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Opening

Welcome to World War 1 centennial News - It’s about WW1 THEN - what was happening 100 years ago this week  - and it’s about WW1 NOW - news and updates about the centennial and the commemoration.

Today is November 15th, 2017. Our guests this week include:

Mike Shuster from the great war project blog,   

Joe Weishaar, architect and designer of the National WW1 Memorial in DC

Lawson Bergfeld from the 100 cities/100 memorials project in Jackson, Missouri

Darley Newman, the host and producer of “Travels with Darley” on PBS

Nick Brokeshoulder, veteran with a Stories of Service about his grandfather

And Katherine Akey the shows line producer and the commissions social media director...

WW1 Centennial News is brought to you by the U.S. World War I Centennial Commission and the Pritzker Military Museum and Library. I’m Theo Mayer - the Chief Technologist for the Commission and your host. Welcome to the show.

[MUSIC]

Preface

Let's begin today’s show with a single word. Suffrage!

What is that word?

Is it about the process of suffering - well yea -  but only in a manner of speaking,

The actual etymology or the history of the word comes the latin term for voting or to VOTE.

It's a little hard to remember that 100 years ago, during the war that changed the world, a large part of the American citizenry had no democratic sway or say in the governance of the country.

For some reason, in a majority of states, it was thought that you needed testicles in order to cast a vote.

The Suffrage movement - the movement for women's right to vote - was in high gear during this time  and in 1916 during his presidential campaign, Woodrow Wilson promises that his democratic party will endorse women's suffrage -

During that same election, the progressive state of Montana - surprise - surprise - elects suffragist Jeannette Rankin to the US House of Representatives.

And just 4 days after being sworn in as the first woman to serve in congress, on April 6, 1917, the house of representatives is casting its historic vote about declaring war on Germany - which eventually passed 373 to 50.

Jeannette Rankin remains silent during the first reading of the roll call. So--- Former Speaker of the house - Joe Cannon of Illinois -- seeks her out on the house floor and advises: “Little woman, you cannot afford not to vote. You represent the womanhood of the country...  and in the American Congress.”

So on the second reading of the roll, violating house rules about commenting on your votes, Rankin rises from her seat and intones...  

“I want to stand by my country, but I cannot vote for war.”

While the women of America are fully engaged in the war effort... from sending their sons and husbands and even daughters into an unknown future, to taking over critical infrastructure jobs and tasks on the homefront, and in dozens of other ways --  one hundred years ago this week, the pages of the New York Times are filled with stories about suffragists, pacifists, and President Wilson's change of position on the women's suffrage movement.

Wow - So let's jump back in time 100 years and see what the fuss in all about!

World War One THEN

100 Year Ago This Week

[MUSIC TRANSITION]

It is the second week of November, 1917 and just a week ago, a socio political tsunami lands -- when on November 6th 1917:  Women in New York State win the right to vote!!  This sends shock waves through the political arena and emboldens the suffragists to take action in Washington DC