World's Congress of Representative Women, The. 2 vols.
Sewall, May Wright [ed]. The World’s Congress of Representative Women. A Historical Resume for Popular Circulation of the World’s Congress of Representative Women, Convened in Chicago on May 15, and Adjourned on May 22, 1893, under the Auspices of the Woman’s Branch of the World’s Congress Auxiliary (2 vols). Chicago and New York: Rand, McNally & Company, 1894.
Large 8vo; illustrated with half-tones which provide portraits of nearly 120 of those associated with the Congress; floral-decorated gilt endpapers; smooth blue cloth with globe encircled with the banner “Not For Herself, But For Humanity” in gold-gilt at front covers; spines stamped in gold-gilt; minor wear to edges, tips and spinal ends; near fine; a handsome set.
First edition.
May Wright Sewall (1844-1920) may be best remembered for her work as a women’s rights activist—a prime mover and organizer of the 1893 World’s Congress of Representative Women and President of the International Council of Women. To contemporaries, however, she was a tireless advocate of women’s education. After earning degrees at Northwestern Female College (later subsumed by Northwestern University), she taught for a number of years; in 1882 she established the Girls' Classical School of Indianapolis. Her husband closed down his own school in 1889 to support her wife in her endeavor. She remained head of the Girls' School until June 1907. “During her twenty-five years as teacher and principal in this well-known Indianapolis institution she introduced dress reforms and physical education and prepared hundreds of young women for college through a rigorous course in ancient and modern languages and mathematics.” She also co-founded with Zerelda Wallace the Indianapolis Suffrage Association (1878); chaired the executive committee of the National woman Suffrage Association (1882-1890); served as President of the National Council of Women (1895-1899) and President of the International Council of Women (1899-1904); was a founder and first vice-president of the General Federation of Women’s Clubs (1889) and twice president of the Western Association of Collegiate Alumnae (which preceded the American Association of University Women). She lectured, appeared before Congressional committees on behalf of women’s rights, for a few years edited a woman’s column for the Indianapolis Times, and worked on behalf of international peace. As NAW points out, Sewall “helped carry the movement into important new areas—women’s clubs, internationalism, and world peace.”
In 1888, to honor the 40th anniversary of Seneca Falls, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony invited an international assembly of women. With the intent of uniting women’s organizations—professional, cultural, religious, reform and educational—a national and then International Council of Women was formed. May Wright Sewall supported this drive to bring women together across organizational and national boundaries. Stanton and Anthony lobbied for women to have a special presence at the Columbia Exposition, and Sewall organized the World’s Congress of Representative Women to take place in May, 1893 at the Exposition. She “traveled extensively in Europe in 1891-1892 to publicize the Congress and secure speakers...” (NAW). Three hundred and thirty women addressed the Congress and over 150,000 people representing Canada, Australia, Sweden, Greece, Germany, England, Denmark, Finland, Scotland and France attended. Sessions were held on: Education; Literature and the Dramatic Art; Science and Religion; Charity, Philanthropy, and Religions; Moral and Social Reform; the Civil and Political Status of Women; Civil Law and Government; Industries and Occupation; the Solidarity of Human Interests, Education and Literature; Religion; Industrial, Social and Moral Reform; Orders, Civil and Political Reform. Among the speakers recorded here: Dr. Mary Putnam Jacobi (“Woman in Science”); Julia Ward Howe (“The Moral Initiative as Related to Woman”) [u
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