Keywords

Women's Suffrage; Vote; Public Sphere; Private Sphere; League of Women Voters; Women's Clubs

Abstract

During the first half of the twentieth century, women in Jacksonville brought women’s suffrage to the forefront of the city’s discourse through increased engagement in the public sphere. By forming women’s organizations such as the Woman’s Club of Jacksonville, the Florida Equal Franchise League, and the Duval County League of Women Voters, White women addressed concerns regarding women’s voting rights. However, these White women’s organizations and Jacksonville’s White, male-dominated authority excluded African American women from participating in the public sphere. Therefore, African American women in Jacksonville established the City Federation of Colored Women’s Clubs, which served as a platform for African American women in Jacksonville to advocate for voting rights. Through an examination of organizational minutes, letters of correspondence, and newspaper articles, the role of race and class is revealed as having a profound impact on the formation of the Women’s Suffrage Movement and further efforts in fighting for equal voting rights in Jacksonville. This thesis examines how women in Jacksonville interacted with the private and public spheres to address women’s voting rights in the city, though separated by race, leading to differing challenges and strategies employed.

Completion Date

2025

Semester

Spring

Committee Chair

Cassanello, Robert

Degree

Master of Arts (M.A.)

College

College of Arts and Humanities

Department

History

Identifier

DP0029361

Document Type

Thesis

Campus Location

Orlando (Main) Campus

Download

Share

COinS