Author: David M. Dismore

David Dismore is the archivist for the Feminist Majority Foundation. His journey from would-be weather forecaster to full-time feminist began with the powerful impression made by a photo and a few paragraphs about the suffragists in his high school history textbook; years later, he had his first encounter with NOW—in which he carefully peeked in a window before opening the door to be sure men were allowed. He was eventually active in the ERA extension campaign of 1978, embarked on a cross-country bikeathon for it in 1982 and even worked for pioneers Toni Carabillo and Judith Meuli.

Today in Feminist History: The Divides in the Suffrage Movement are Growing

December 4, 1913: Unusually strong words on this, the sixth day of the National American Woman Suffrage Association’s convention in Washington, D.C. In a speech to the delegates, the usually tactful Carrie Chapman Catt, president of NAWSA from 1900 to 1904, declared that women demanded the vote nationwide without delay—and that “if the Constitution stands in our way, let’s tear it up and make a new one!”