Carrie Chapman Catt Papers
Scope and Content Note
The papers of Carrie Lane Chapman Catt (1859-1947), which span the years 1848-1950, reflect her steadfast dedication to two major ideals--the rights of women, particularly the right to vote, and world peace. The greater part of the manuscripts, 1890-1920, relates to Catt's efforts to secure the ballot for women. General Correspondence and Subject File series in the collection reveal the tactics she employed in achieving this goal. After the adoption of the nineteenth amendment to the United States Constitution in 1920, the subject matter of the collection reflects Catt's increasing concern with the settlement of international problems and the establishment of a world peace organization.
Her papers include diaries which recount in great detail her trip around the world on behalf of woman suffrage in 1911-1912, and substantial correspondence with prominent leaders of the women's movement. Notable among her correspondents are Alice Stone Blackwell, Ida Husted Harper, Mary Garrett Hay, Clara Hyde, Rosette Suzanne Manus, Maud Wood Park, Mary Gray Peck, Rosika Schwimmer, Edna Lamprey Stantial, and Justina Leavitt Wilson.
There is an extensive file of Catt's speeches and articles, most of which deal with woman's rights and peace. In the Subject File are biographical papers, awards, and birthday tributes, as well as manuscripts relating to the Woman's Centennial Congress of 1940, the National Committee on the Cause and Cure of War, and other organizations with which Catt was affiliated.
Dates
- Creation: 1848-1950
- Creation: Majority of material found within 1890-1920
Language of Materials
Collection material in English
Access and Restrictions
The papers of Carrie Chapman Catt are open to research. Researchers are advised to contact the Manuscript Reading Room prior to visiting. Many collections are stored off-site and advance notice is needed to retrieve these items for research use.
Copyright Status
Copyright in the unpublished writings of Carrie Chapman Catt in these and in other collections of papers in the custody of the Library of Congress has been dedicated to the public.
Biographical Note
Biographical Note
- 1859, Jan. 9
- Born, Ripon, Wis.
- 1880
- Graduated from Iowa State College, Ames, Iowa
- 1883 - 1884
- Superintendent of schools, Mason City, Iowa
- 1884
- Married Lee Chapman (died 1886)
- 1890
- Married George Catt
- 1890 - 1900
- Worked with organization committee, National American Woman Suffrage Association
- 1900 - 1904
- President, National American Woman Suffrage Association
- 1900 - 1920
- Worked for woman suffrage through an amendment to the U.S. Constitution
- 1904 - 1923
- President, International Woman Suffrage Alliance
- 1911 - 1912
- Made world tour for the suffrage cause
- 1915 - 1920
- President, National American Woman Suffrage Association
- 1919
- Helped found the National League of Women Voters
- 1923
- Published with Nettie Rogers Shuler Woman Suffrage and Politics (New York: C. Scribner's Sons. 504 pp.)
- 1923 - 1947
- Devoted herself chiefly to the peace movement
- 1925 - 1932
- Helped organize and served as chairman, National Committee on the Cause and Cure of War
- 1928
- Death of longtime partner Mary "Mollie" Garrett Hay, with whom Catt lived intermittently before George Catt's death in 1905 and thereafter shared a permanent home
- 1947, Mar. 9
- Died, New Rochelle, N.Y.
Extent
9,500 items
31 containers
2 oversize
12.4 linear feet
18 microfilm reels
Abstract
Feminist, lecturer, and author. Correspondence, diaries (1911-1923), drafts of speeches and articles, subject files, biographical papers, newspaper clippings, printed material, and other papers, chiefly 1890-1920, relating primarily to Carrie Chapman Catt's efforts on behalf of the women's suffrage movement, feminism, and the cause of international peace.
Organization of the Papers
The collection is arranged in six series:
Catalog Record
Acquisition Information
The papers of Carrie Chapman Catt were given to the Library of Congress by Alda Wilson, executrix of Catt's estate, in 1947, and by Edna Lamprey Stantial, archivist of the National American Woman Suffrage Association, in 1960.
Microfilm
A microfilm edition of these papers is available on eighteen reels. Consult reference staff in the Manuscript Division concerning availability for purchase or interlibrary loan. To promote preservation of the originals, researchers are required to consult the microfilm edition.
Online Content
The papers of Carrie Chapman Catt are available on the Library of Congress website at https://hdl.loc.gov/loc.mss/collmss.ms000077. To promote preservation of the originals, researchers are required to consult the online edition. Transcription datasets from the Carrie Chapman Catt Papers are available online at https://hdl.loc.gov/loc.gdc/gdcdatasets.2019667239.
Processing History
The papers of Carrie Chapman Catt were processed by Grover Batts and Thelma Queen in 1974. The finding aid was revised in 1999, and additional changes were made in 2006 to reflect the renumbering of oversize material.
Source
- Catt, Carrie Chapman, 1859-1947 (Creator, Person)
Subject
- Abbott, Grace, 1878-1939--Correspondence. (Person)
- Addams, Jane, 1860-1935--Correspondence. (Person)
- Astor, Nancy Witcher Langhorne Astor, Viscountess, 1879-1964--Correspondence. (Person)
- Baker, Newton Diehl, 1871-1937--Correspondence. (Person)
- Blackwell, Alice Stone, 1857-1950--Correspondence. (Person)
- Catt, Carrie Chapman, 1859-1947. (Person)
- Daniels, Josephus, 1862-1948--Correspondence. (Person)
- Gilman, Charlotte Perkins, 1860-1935--Correspondence. (Person)
- Harper, Ida Husted, 1851-1931--Correspondence. (Person)
- Hay, Mary Garrett, 1857-1928--Correspondence. (Person)
- Hyde, Clara--Correspondence. (Person)
- La Guardia, Fiorello H. (Fiorello Henry), 1882-1947--Correspondence. (Person)
- Lathrop, Julia Clifford, 1858-1932--Correspondence. (Person)
- Manus, Rosette Suzanne, 1881-1942--Correspondence. (Person)
- McCormick, Katharine Dexter, 1875-1967--Correspondence. (Person)
- Park, Maud Wood, 1871-1955--Correspondence. (Person)
- Peck, Mary Gray, 1867?-1957--Correspondence. (Person)
- Reid, Helen Rogers, 1882-1970--Correspondence. (Person)
- Schneiderman, Rose, 1882-1972--Correspondence. (Person)
- Schwimmer, Rosika, 1877-1948--Correspondence. (Person)
- Stantial, Edna Lamprey--Correspondence. (Person)
- Sulzberger, Arthur Hays, 1891-1968--Correspondence. (Person)
- Taft, William H. (William Howard), 1857-1930--Correspondence. (Person)
- Tumulty, Joseph P. (Joseph Patrick), 1879-1954--Correspondence. (Person)
- White, William Allen, 1868-1944--Correspondence. (Person)
- Wilson, Justina Leavitt, -1955--Correspondence. (Person)
- Library of Congress. Manuscript Division. Suffrage Archives. 1759-1961. (Organization)
- National Committee on the Cause and Cure of War (U.S.) (Organization)
- Women's Centennial Congress (1940 : New York, N.Y.) (Organization)
Geographic
- Africa--Description and travel.
- East Asia--Description and travel.
- Europe--Description and travel.
- Middle East--Description and travel.
Occupation
Topical
- Feminism.
- Peace.
- Suffrage--United States.
- Suffrage.
- Women's rights--United States.
- Women--Suffrage--United States.
- Women--United States--Societies, etc.
Uniform Title
- Title
- Carrie Chapman Catt Papers
- Subtitle
- A Finding Aid to the Collection in the Library of Congress
- Author
- Prepared by Manuscript Division staff
- Date
- 2006
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Part of the Manuscript Division Repository
Manuscript Reading Room
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James Madison Building, LM 101
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