New York State Association Opposed to Woman Suffrage

The New York State Association Opposed to Woman Suffrage (NYSAOWS) was an American anti-suffrage organization in New York. The group was made up of prominent women who fought against the cause of women's suffrage by giving speeches, handing out materials and pamphlets and also publishing a journal. There were several auxiliaries of the group throughout New York and it was considered one of the most active anti-suffrage groups in the state.

History The New York State Association Opposed to Woman Suffrage (NYSAOWS) was one of the most active women's anti-suffrage groups in the state of New York. The group was first known as the New York State Association Opposed to the Extension of the Suffrage to Women and was formed in April 1895. The name was changed sometime between October 27, 1908 and November 4, 1908. The group had many "prominent" women from New York as members. There were several auxiliary organizations in different parts of the state, including in Albany, Brooklyn and Buffalo. Dues were taken from each member, starting at $3 per person.

The president of the organization would bring together the executive committee every year, either in December or April. Officers would be elected and reports on their previous years' activities would be shared. The report would also include information about women's suffrage efforts across the country. The group met at the home of Mrs. George Phillips (Mary E. Phillips) for many years, but in October 1908 opened an office in the Engineering Societies' Building. In July 1908, NYSAOWS started a quarterly journal called The Anti-Suffragist which was published through April 1912. Bertha Lane Scott drafted pamphlets, placed high-profile anti-suffrage letters in outlets such as The New York Times, and—on lecture tours—explained the platform, outlined step-by-step plans for new auxiliaries, and recruited prominent society women to run them.Scott, Mrs. William Forse, & Adams, M. D. (1909). In opposition to woman suffrage [Pamphlet]. The New York Association Opposed to Woman Suffrage. https://www.biblio.com/book/opposition-woman-suffrage-scott-mrs-william/d/1412245477?srsltid=AfmBOoryibWwqQoGQJNqsmWQQX7kV3ohCYuAlG2hIzN2GK93mRdIkVlrScott, B. L. (1912, June 2). Business of being woman. The New York Times. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/1912/06/02/archives/business-of-being-woman-mrs-william-forse-scott-finds-the-phrase.htmlDyson, H. (2020). The “Antis”. Minnesota History, 67(3), 163-168.NYSAOWS members believed that women participating in politics would be "disruptive of everything pertaining to home life." They also felt that women's roles as mothers and caregivers meant they did not have to do "further service" as citizens. Overall, the members believed that more people were on their side and all they had to do was help "women to recognize the vital need for 'a division of the world's work between men and women.'" In 1896, NYSAOWS believed that only 10% of women actually wanted the vote. NYSAOWS also used tactics such as associating women's suffrage with "support for socialist causes."

The group would receive requests for information, advice or assistance from women in other states. They also sent petitions to the New York State Assembly, asking them not to grant suffrage to women. The association drew large crowds, like the one at Glens Falls City Hall in February 1915, when NYSAOWS president, Alice Hill Chittenden, spoke.

After women in New York won the right to vote in 1917, NYSAOWS reorganized to work towards the repeal of women's suffrage. They also decided to fight against a country-wide granting of women's suffrage. After the 19th Amendment passed, the Brooklyn Auxiliary of the NYSAOWS met in the home of Carolyn Putnam (Mrs. W.A Putnam) to discuss working against the federal amendment. NYSAOWS eventually decided to transition into a new organization, the Women Voters' Anti-Suffrage Party.

Notable members

Presidents NameTermDescriptionLucy Parkman Scott1895 – 1910Founder and first long-serving presidentPolitical Rhetoric in Theory and Practice: A Reader. (2023). United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press. p. 182.Lemak, J. A., Hopkins-Benton, A. (2017). Votes for Women: Celebrating New York's Suffrage Centennial. United States: State University of New York Press. p. 136.Abby Hamlin AbbottParts of 1902 & 1907Acting president during Scott’s absencesMarshall, S. E. (1997). Splintered Sisterhood: Gender and Class in the Campaign Against Woman Suffrage. United States: University of Wisconsin Press. pp. 46-47.Josephine Jewell Dodge1910Prominent philanthropist; elevated from vice-presidentCarolyn Putnam1911 – 1912Presided over re-organisation after Dodge resignedAlice Hill Chittenden1913 – 1917Led the statewide campaign against the 1915 suffrage referendumMary Guthrie Kilbreth†1919 – ?Editor of The Woman Patriot and national anti-suffrage strategistKodumthara, S. (2020). “The Right of Suffrage Has Been Thrust on Me”: The Reluctant Suffragists of the American West. The Journal of the Gilded Age and Progressive Era, 19(4), 607-622. † After New York adopted woman suffrage in November 1917, the Association re-tooled rather than disband; Kilbreth therefore headed a post-referendum phase.

Officers & organisers NamePositionYearsDescriptionMary E. PhillipsFirst secretary1895Recorded minutes and correspondence at the Hewitt house meetingMrs. Abram HewittHostess of founding meeting1895Convened the inaugural gathering in her Manhattan homeMariana Griswold Van RensselaerOrganising committee1895Helped draft the Association’s first constitutionMrs. Elihu RootOrganising committee1895Assisted in outreach to influential society womenMrs. Fritz AchelisVice-presidentc. 1914Speaker at regional anti-suffrage rallies"Anti-Suffragists Give Reasons for Their Stand". Binghamton Press. 22 Feb 1910. p. 2.Mrs. Gilbert E. JonesVice-presidentc. 1914Managed publicity for up-state auxiliariesElizabeth V. CockcroftVice-presidentc. 1914Legislative liaison at Albany hearingsBertha Lane ScottChair, Publications Committeeby 1908Edited pamphlets and placed letters in major newspapers

New York State Association Opposed to Woman Suffrage

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