Here’s to the Women, Linda’s program commemorating the battle for the 19th Amendment is now available in video format. To see the trailer, click below.
“We enjoyed “Here’s to Women. ‘ Across the decades, Linda Allen tells a poignant story using photos, music and thought provoking lyrics to bring women, both famous and unknown, to life. Beautifully portrayed, women fought for their rights in factories, on the streets, during abolition, war time, and within political arenas. Accompanied by a lone guitar, we joined with women (past present, and future) as we sang lyrics and melodies that brought their personalities to life. For an afternoon, we cheered women whose efforts forged us onward toward a preferred future. They’d likely say, ‘Onward, there’s still work to be done! ‘
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“Here’s to the Women” is now available as a video production. For booking information, click here.
Most of the songs from the presentation of Here’s to the Women can be found in Linda’s 9th CD by the same name, shown below. Feel free to enjoy a couple of cuts off of the album below as you browse through this page, or order the CD or individual tracks as you wish. Lyrics to songs from this and all of Linda’s albums can be found on her lyrics page
League of Women Voters
State Convention, June 2019
“To the wrongs that need resistance, to the right that needs assistance, to the future in the distance, give yourselves.”
This recording was originally made in 2010 for the KSPS, Spokane, documentary, “Courage in Corsets: Winning the Vote in Washington State”. There are eight traditional suffrage songs recorded by my daughter Kristin and me, accompanied by Phil Heaven. I recently discovered this recording, and am happy to share it! I’ve renamed it, “Failure is Impossible: Songs of the Suffragists.” Below is a sample from the album.
““A vibrant voice in this important struggle.””
“Linda Allen breathes life into the 19th Amendment story through song and story that is totally charming as well as instructive. Goose bumps and joy were the response of the day.
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The silencing of women’s experience and the empowering of women’s voices as they struggled for the vote are at the heart of this presentation featuring songs, images, stories and readings. We meet among others: Helga Estby who walked across America in 1896, Carrie Chapman Catt, Ida B. Wells-Barnett, Harriet Tubman, Emma Smith Devoe, May Arkwright Hutton, Alice Paul, Inez Milholland, Rosie, the Riveter, and more known and unknown women.
To learn about the battle for the Nineteenth Amendment through historical images, stories and songs.
To understand the contributions and significance of minority women, and who did and did not get to vote in 1920.
To have fun, singing along with music that highlights and celebrates women’s history.
To acquire a list of resources, including books, movies, articles and more, to deepen the understanding and importance of the struggle for the vote.
To book this video presentation in your area, please email October Rose Productions. You can also call us.
Call 360-920-7533 for information
or to book a performance.
1986: Marching for the ERA in Denver, before her concert at the National NOW Conference.
Dr. Linda Allen is a songwriter, performer and educator who has been a voice for women since the late 1960s through songs, concerts and workshops. She has done research and presentations for the Washington Women’s Heritage Project, the Women’s History Consortium, the Humanities Commission, the Washington Centennial Commission and multiple museums, schools, libraries and other venues. Her songs, workshops and multi-media presentations on women’s work, history, spirituality and current challenges span twelve CDs of original songs and tours throughout Washington and beyond.
(Visit Linda’s Biography page to learn more about her extensive background in the arts, music, spirituality, and women’s history.)
Suffrage Centennial Art Work by Meneese Wall. Find a selection of these beautiful 5 x 7 cards and her new book in our Suffrage store. Additional products for celebrating the Suffrage Centennial are also available, including Susan B. Anthony dolls, the Iron-John Angels DVD, and Linda’s CDs. Stay tuned as we add more products!
BOOKS
Ask a Suffragist: Stories and Wisdom from America’s First Feminists by April Young Bennett. The new generation of feminists are offered inspiration from the voices of America’s early Suffragists.
Bold Spirit: Helga Estby’s Forgotten Walk Across Victorian America, by Linda Lawrence Hunt. Linda Hunt’s story inspired the song, “Helga Estby”.
Death in Ten Minutes: The Forgotten Life of Radical Suffragette Kitty Marion, by Fern Riddell. Don’t let the first four words of the title fool you - this is a great and inspiring book. This from the publisher: “In Death in Ten Minutes, historian Fern Riddell uncovers the story of radical suffragette Kitty Marion, told through never-before-seen personal diaries in Kitty's own voice.”
First Woman. Inspired by Hillary Rodham Clinton's historic campaign, the NWHP has published a special Commemorative Edition, First Woman, to pay tribute to women's long and distinguished record in government and public service. I first learned about this beautiful little book at the 2019 National Women’s History Alliance Conference.
Liberated Woman by James Montgomery. 1974. Biography of May Arkwright Hutton, including wonderful photos and excerpts from May’s own book: The Coeur d’Alenes or a Tale of the Modern Inquisition in Idaho.
May: The Hard-Rock Life of Pioneer May Arkwright Hutton by Mary Barmeyer O’Brien. 2013. May is one of my favorite characters in the dramatic fight for the vote in Washington State. Her story comes to life in the hands of a fine storyteller.
More than Petticoats: Remarkable Washington Women, by L.E. Bragg. 1999. An introduction to sixteen remarkable women.
Old Baggage: A Novel, by By Lissa Evans. From the publisher: “The author of the acclaimed Crooked Heart returns with a comic, charming, and surprisingly timely portrait of a once pioneering suffragette trying to find her new passion in post-WWI era London. #1 Best seller in the UK.
Pots and Politics: An Historical Cookbook from the Suffragists to the Equal Rights Amendment, Washington State Women’s Political Caucus-1976. See Linda’s song “Bubble and Squeak”, inspired by recipes in this book.
Remembering Inez: The Last Campaign of Inez Milholland, Suffrage Martyr. Selections from The Suffragist, 1916, Edited by Robert P.J.Cooney, Jr. Hear “If You Had Seen Inez” below.
Winning the West for Women: The Life of Suffragist Emma Smith Devoe by Jennifer M. Ross-Nazzal. 2011. University of Washington press. Beautifully researched life of Washington’s other most famous Suffragist …and no friend of May!
The Woman's Hour: The Great Fight to Win the Vote, by Elaine Weiss. An excellent non-fiction book that I couldn't put down! It covers the battle for ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment in Tennessee....and what a battle it was! It's being turned into a 6-part series under the direction of Hillary Clinton and Steven Spielberg in 2020. Highly recommended!
The Women’s Suffrage Movement, by Sally Roesch Wagner and introduction by Gloria Steinem. The book includes two centuries worth of historical texts that offer an intersectional exploration of women’s suffrage. In the introduction, Glora Steinem writes, “Wagner takes us into the rooms, writings, and discussions where white and black women and black men, all fighting for legal personhood and full citizenship, were both a miracle of shared purpose, despite all the lethal forces keeping them apart, and later a tragedy of division that echoes in the need for intersectionality and inclusion to this day.”
The Year We Were Famous, by Carole Estby Dagg. Excellent for a younger reader, and everyone who is intrigued by the story of Helga and Clara. Written by Helga’s great-granddaughter.
We Demand the Right to Vote: The Journey to the 19th Amendment by Meneese Wall. Linda: This is the book I’ve been waiting for from my very favorite Suffrage artist. Top of my list as gifts. Beautiful!
Why They Marched: Untold Stories of the Women Who Fought for the Right to Vote, by Susan Ware. Linda: “I loved this book and learned so much!!” Here’s a brief description from Amazon: “For far too long, the history of how American women won the right to vote has been told as the tale of a few iconic leaders, all white and native-born. But Susan Ware uncovered a much broader and more diverse story waiting to be told. Why They Marched is a tribute to the many women who worked tirelessly in communities across the nation, out of the spotlight, protesting, petitioning, and insisting on their right to full citizenship.”. .(read more)
Winning the Vote: Triumph of the American Woman Suffrage Movement. Robert P.J.Cooney, Jr. The definitive work on the women’s suffrage movement, full of beautiful pictures, illustrations, and narrative. Truly the bible of women’s suffrage literature.
Winning the West for Women: The Life of Suffragist Emma Smith Devoe. Jennifer M. Ross-Nassal. “At long last, here is a full account of the life of Emma Smith DeVoe, the powerhouse in engineering the successful woman suffrage campaign for Washington State in 1910. A winning strategist in a minefield of activists and opponents, her story exposes the complications of western politics a century ago.” Karen Blair, Central Washington University.
Women's Suffrage in America, by Elizabeth Frost-Knappman and Kathryn Cullen-Dupont (1992). Good overview of the national movement.
Women’s Votes, Women’s Voices: The Campaign for Equal Rights in Washington by Shanna Stevenson. Published by the Washington State Historical Society in celebration of 100 years of the vote in Washington State.
Documentaries and movies
Courage in Corsets: Winning the Vote in Washington State. This is the story of the women whose personal courage, political savvy and sheer tenacity won the vote for all women in Washington. It is the story of women of all races, creeds and economic status who banded together to improve the quality of life for themselves and their communities; to convince men of the benefits of women's voting rights; and to breathe new life into the national campaign. Their stories profoundly affect every woman in America to this day. I was commissioned to record traditional Suffrage songs for this project, along with my daughter, Kristin Allen-Zito. A copy may be purchased by clicking here.
The Divine Order. (2017) Switzerland, 1971. In a small village, the women begin organizing for the vote.
Inex Milholland: Forward Into Light. This beautiful fifteen minute documentary is by Martha Wheelock, who included one of Linda’s songs in the sound track. Go to Wild West Women, distributor of historical and current films about women’s history, artists, creations.
Into Light. Another film about Inez Milholland, starring Amy Walker. Really captures important moments in the life of this inspiring activist and Suffrage martyr. Supported by Wild West Women, Inc. Also available on Amazon Prime. Click on this link to view the trailer.
Iron Jawed Angels, and Suffragette. Check out these commercial movies for an entertaining and informative journey back through suffrage history, in the US and England.
Lady Gaga: A Bad Romance - Women’s Suffrage: A Lady Gaga, Alice Paul Music Video Mashup. Outstanding! A short but must-see music video which is only about six minutes long. Be sure and visit their website for lyrics, activities, and curriculum.
Not for Ourselves Alone: The Story of Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony (1999). A PBS documentary about these remarkable friends and activists. This link will take you to a three-minute trailer of the movie, which can be purchased on Amazon.
One Woman, One Vote. This PBS documentary documents the 72-year struggle for women's suffrage which culminated in the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment in 1920. It illuminates the alliances, infighting, betrayals and defeats that paved the way for victory in the battle for women's right to vote. Historical footage is enhanced with vocal performances, and interviews with historians provide the viewer with both current and historical perspectives. Click on the above link for a YouTube trailer, or purchase the DVD at worldcat.org
The Vote This two-part PBS “American Experience”, released in 2020, celebrates the 100 year anniversary of Suffrage with a powerful documentary. Wow! I was riveted, not only by the story but by the amazing pictures and films from the era. Not to be missed!
cds
Failure is Impossible: Traditional Songs of the Suffragists I recorded these 8 songs with my daughter, Kristin, and Phil Heaven on viola and violin in 2010 for KSPS, Spokane, for their documentary “Courage in Corsets” (see link above). Scroll above to see the CD cover and more information. Available only as a download.
Here’s to the Women! Twenty songs commemorating women’s journey to justice, including native weavers and pioneer quilters, Suffragists and labor leaders, domestic workers and Rosie the Riveters.
HerStory - Earth Mama. Joyce Rouse is my friend who writes and sings powerful songs that sing like anthems in the heart. Here's her new CD, prepared for the Women's Suffrage Centennial.
Hurrah for Woman Suffrage, The Homespun Singers present 40 minutes of historical women’s songs.
performances
Click here for a comprehensive list of Suffrage performers from around the country.
Recipe for Justice: A Musical Readers Theatre Celebrating Washington Woman Suffrage Centennial, script by Susan Butruille, original songs by Linda Allen. Although the original musical was limited to one production, many of the songs are now on the CD, “Here’s to the Women!”. We will be adding additional songs from the musical to the web site in the future. “Recipe For Justice” remains available for production and performance. For more information visit www.sbvoices.com.
May's Vote. Emma Smith DeVoe and outrageous May Arkwright Hutton, who worked side by side – but seldom eye to eye – to win the vote for women in Washington State in 1910. I loved this play!! And my song, “Emma and May” (see below), was played at the beginning. Click here for contact information, or email Barbara Callander about this and other plays at: b.callander33@gmail.com, or call her: 240-893-3666.
Rainwater Storytelling with Eva Abram. “I offer original solo theatrical performances that are entertaining and engaging for audiences aged six to adult. Actual or composite characters share stories about the making of American history. The well researched presentations highlight contributions these people made to the growth and strength of our nation. The presentations are minimally staged, often in costumes appropriate to the time period. Presentation length 45 minutes including Q & A.” - from the Rainwater Storytelling website.
Tea with Alice and Me A one-woman performance by author and activist Zoe Nicholson that spotlights the life of Alice Paul, a leading suffragist who used civil disobedience tactics to help secure women’s right to vote in the United States. http://suffrageandthemedia.org/source/one-woman-performance-tea-alice/
Click here to listen to “Emma and May” —->
other resources
19th Amendment and the Women’s Suffrage Movement. Here’s a good overview of the Suffrage movement and more resources, thanks to a sharp-eyed young woman named Ana.
2020 Women's Vote Centennial Initiative (WVCI). The 2020 Women's Vote Centennial Initiative (WVCI) serves "as a central organizing and information-sharing entity for programs, projects, and activities that commemorate the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, educate the public on the legal and social advances resulting from the amendment, and stimulate dialogue to address the ongoing fight for women's rights."
Celebrating 100 Years of Women Change Makers. Visit this lively and fun site to learn about what’s happening across Washington State during this year’s centennial celebration. The Washington State Historical Society and the Women's History Consortium have joined forces to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the 19th amendment and to celebrate women change makers across Washington State through 2020.
Centennial Celebration Facebook Page. Great information and resources as we celebrate 100 years of the vote!
Let us Sing as We Go: Votes for Women. Steve Woodbury has put together this marvelous collection of traditional Suffrage songs as a gift. He’s encouraging groups to use and download songs from this collection for group and personal use. Here’s a bit of what Steve has to say about this collection: “The lyrics in this collection are all in the public domain. , , I look forward to hearing from users about when and where and how you have used this collection. Let’s get people singing these songs again!”
How Women Won the Vote - Volume 1 and Volume 2, and the most recent, Volume 3. Wonderful overview of the suffrage movement as well as a chronicling of 2019 and 2020 events planned or in the planning stages. The nice thing about this resource is that it’s in a downloadable format that allows for direct access to the links listed. Check this out!
Lyrics to a collection of traditional suffrage songs.
Music in the Women's Suffrage Movement. Wonderful article from the Library of Congress. You can also choose to have it “read” to you which is fun. Check this out!
National Women’s History Alliance. Visit this site for more information about plays, other presenters and products related to women’s history.
National Women’s History Museum. (NWHM). Telling the stories of women who transformed our nation. through a growing state-of-the-art online presence and a future physical museum to educate, inspire, empower, shape the future, and provide a complete view of American history.
Library of Congress. Check out the selected images from where the image above was taken.
Suffrage Centennial.com. Started in 2013, this site is a clearing house for information, announcements, and features about local, state, and national suffrage celebrations, programs, performances, events, news and views. Regular postings, plus video and audio highlights.
Vision 2020: National Women’s Equality Initiative. Vision 2020 will lead Women 100, the national centennial commemoration of the 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution, granting women the right to vote, which will take place in Philadelphia in 2020.
Washington Women’s History Consortium. Best resource for 2010 Suffrage celebration in Washington State.
With Suffragist Lyrics to Patriotic Songs, Women’s Chorus Brings History to Life in Paducah. As Americans celebrate Women’s History Month, the Women’s Suffragist Centennial Chorus is traveling across Kentucky to share the history of women’s right to vote, ramping up to a larger celebration in 2020 for the centennial of the ratification of women’s right to vote. Read more. . .
Women Leading the Way - A centennial of women’s suffrage. Includes international suffragists as well as American and British, and a storytelling project on voting. From their website: Women Leading the Way is a national class project that encourages the interdisciplinary collaboration between English or ELA, history and art teachers. Students will examine the history of the Women's Suffrage Movement and beyond through learning about the extraordinary women who made significant and lasting contributions to Human Rights in the United States and around the globe.
Women’s Suffrage and the Media. This is database and resource site created by members of the American Journalism Historians Association. It comes suggested by Bob Cooney as a place you can get many leads to various resources.
Women’s Vote Centennial: 1920 - 2020. The “official” site commemorating 100 years of women’s right to vote. From their website: “Whether you’re a student, teacher, or life long learner, our partners at the National Archives, the Library of Congress, the National Park Service, the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), and the Smithsonian Institution offer the resources you need in their centralized Learning Centers to discover and explore the rich and compelling history of the suffragists’ fight for the ballot. As the official site for the Women’s Suffrage Centennial, we’ve brought all those resources together here, in one place, to share the deeply American story of courage, perseverance, and women’s right to vote.”
Women’s Vote Centennial Initiative (WVCI). From their website: “[A resource for] programs, projects, and activities that commemorate the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, educate the public on the legal and social advances resulting from the amendment, and stimulate dialogue to address the ongoing fight for women’s rights.”
Can you find the women hidden in the banner at the top of this page? Just like throughout history, women have been hidden in plain sight. But they are emerging. Just as in this banner, all you need to do is look.
