100th anniversary -- Prohibition and Women's Suffrage

[ColleenMc]

Now that we have passed the last centennial date for World War I, there are some other important centennials on the horizon.

In the United States, the 18th amendment, prohibiting the manufacturing and sale of alcoholic beverages, was passed in 1919.

Women's suffrage for women over 30 was passed in the UK in 1918 (lowered to age 21, same as men, in 1928), and the 19th amendment to the US constitution making it legal for women to vote was passed in 1920.

Both temperance/prohibition and women's suffrage were long debated and hard fought battles, with gallons of ink spilled for decades before each came to pass. I think collections of samples of those debates would be interesting and worthwhile projects to take on here.

I would be interested in organizing either one (possibly both, though not at the same time because this would be my first attempt at BC) but I'm not sure how one goes about doing an "anthology" where the compilation is made by us and not a prepublished one.

Would it be better to search out all the pieces and set it up like a typical project? Or search out some potential sources to have a list for peole to choose from, but also leave the BYO option open (like the most recent WWI compilation)? Or just throw the topic out there and let anyone bring any piece they would like, like the coffee-break collections? I would be interesting in any advice or thoughts from people who have coordinated similar projects in the past.

I also thought about the Spanish flu epidemic as a possible "anthology" project, but it is harder to find sources for that. There wasn't as much of a scientific understanding at the time, and I don't think the expanse of it worldwide was fully grasped, nor the cultural impact, especially as it was somewhat muted as it came on the heels of such a huge amount of sudden death and loss and mourning from the previous 4+ years of war.

Colleen

[Carolin]

I think this would be an interesting project

How you set it up depends on the type of project. The book coordinator almost always provides a list of sources for potential readers to look into. You can either make a list in the first post or already enter some titles into the magic window for people to claim i would recommend compiling a list of texts. There are often readers who are interested but find it difficult to come up with texts themselves, so you are making it easier for them snd yourself by promoting some suitable material

[maxgal]

I think a 100th anniversary anthology of U.S. women's suffrage is a fabulous idea, and just in time for Election 2020!
If this is picked up by a BC/MC, I would love to participate as a reader.

How about this: Are Women People?...
https://www.gutenberg.org/files/11689/11689-h/11689-h.htm#CAMPAIGN_MATERIAL

Other suffrage stuff on PGutenberg:
https://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Suffrage
http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/search/?query=Suffrage+!bsxSuffrage

Some other articles/essays/speeches by leaders of the movement:
https://guides.loc.gov/19th-amendment/digital-collections

Or, on the other hand...
http://www.crusadeforthevote.org/naows-opposition
http://www.crusadeforthevote.org/primary-documents-1
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Association_Opposed_to_Woman_Suffrage
(thanks, gals)

WDYT?

Thank you...LJB
(Louise)
(aka "maxgal")

[KevinS]

Give me two days and I think I could give you lots of resources for all three subjects. All are of interest to me, especially the 'flu' as an historical event.

Suffrage examples might be compared between the United States and Great Britain (and dominions?)

I don't drink, but prohibition baffles me. Still, the storm of sentiment for prohibition was remarkable and worthy of study in itself.

I'm game for all three!