History of Woman Suffrage, The, Vol. I.
Inscribed By Stanton, Anthony, And Gage
to Queen Victoria
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The only known copy inscribed by all three women
(Anthony, Susan B., co-editor) History of Woman Suffrage. Edited by Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony, and Matilda Joslyn Gage. Illustrated with Steel Engravings. In Two Volumes. Vol. 1 1848-1861. New York: Fowler & Wells, 1881.
Large 8vo.; frontispiece portrait of Frances Wright; other illustrations throughout (one plate lacking); red cloth stamped in gilt; some light foxing to frontispiece and throughout; light wear to extremities. Housed together with Volume II in a specially made beige cloth folding box with red morocco label.
First edition. A presentation copy, inscribed: To Victoria the acknowledged sovereign [sic] of Great Britain from disfranchised [sic] of the republic of the United States where rights of sovereignty though recognized by the principles of our government are still unjustly withheld. Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Matilda Joslyn Gage, Susan B. Anthony, New York—U.S. / Jan. 1, 1882.
In 1881, the year this volume was published, Stanton addressed a predominantly male audience in London, holding up Victoria as a model for the intellectual, politically aware, and socially active American woman:
Suppose when the day dawned for Victoria to be crowned Queen of England she had gone before the House of Commons and begged that such terrible responsibilities might not be laid upon her, declaring that she had not the moral stamina nor intellectual ability for the position; that her natural delicacy and refinement shrank from the encounter; that she was looking forward to the all-absorbing duties of domestic life, to a husband, children, home, to her influence in the social circle where the Christian graces are best employed. Suppose with a tremulous voice and a few stray tears in her blue eyes, her head drooping on one side, she had said she knew nothing of the science of government; that a crown did not befit a woman’s brow; that she had not the physical strength even to wave her nation’s flag, much less to hold the scepter of power over so vast an empire; that in case of war she could not fight and hence could not reign, as there must be force behind the throne, and this force must be centered in the hand which governed. What would her Parliament have thought? What would other nations have thought? …
None of you would admit, honorable gentlemen, that all the great principles of government which center round our theories of justice, liberty and equality in favor of individual sovereignty have not as yet produced as high a type of womanhood as has a monarchy in the Old World. We have a large number of women as well fitted as Victoria for the most responsible positions in the Government, who could fill the highest places with equal dignity and wisdom…. Queen Victoria looked as dignified and refined in opening Parliament as any lady one ever had seen. (Stanton, IV, pp. 160, 162)
After Victoria’s death, Stanton noted that “[h]er reign will always be conspicuous as an era of change of tone in regard to the studies and pursuits of women.” (IV.1021)
Though the presentation of this volume to Victoria is undocumented, Anthony did describe the reception of the Woman’s Congress by the Queen at Windsor Castle, “the serving of tea in the great Hall of St. George, and all the incidents of that Interesting occasion, and concluded: ‘What I want most to impress upon you is this: If we had represented nothing but ourselves we should have been nowhere…. It was because Miss Shaw and I represented you and all which makes for liberty that we were so well received; and I want you to feel that all the honors paid to us were paid to you’” (IV, p. 354).
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