Browse Organizations
Displaying 1 - 25 of 104
Name |
Description | Founding year | Works by | Works about | Works to |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Young Women's Christian Association of the United States of America | During the nineteenth and twentieth centuries the Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA), named after a similar men’s organization, was organized largely by middle-class white women in cities around the nati... During the nineteenth and twentieth centuries the Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA), named after a similar men’s organization, was organized largely by middle-class white women in cities around the nation who built Association boarding houses, training schools, and day nurseries to protect and provide services for single women in cities. In more recent decades the YWCA has continued a wide range of activities including shelter for women and children and support for women’s reproductive rights. Show more Show less | 1858 | 21 | 298 | 57 |
| Women's Rights within the Anti-Slavery Movement | Historians have traditionally dated the beginning of the women’s rights movement to the 1840 London World Anti-Slavery Convention, where Lucretia Mott and Elizabeth Cady Stanton first formulated the idea for a wom... Historians have traditionally dated the beginning of the women’s rights movement to the 1840 London World Anti-Slavery Convention, where Lucretia Mott and Elizabeth Cady Stanton first formulated the idea for a woman’s rights convention. But the connections between anti-slavery and women’s rights flourished even before this meeting through the activism of Lucretia Mott, and Angelina and Sarah Grimke, leading anti-slavery advocates. Mott’s interest in women’s rights also predated her involvement in the anti-slavery movement, as she committed herself to women’s emancipation early on in her public career as a Quaker minister and reformer. Show more Show less | 1830 | 22 | ||
| Women's Joint Congressional Committee | Formed after the passage of the Woman Suffrage Amendment to the U.S. Constitution in 1920, the Women’s Joint Congressional Congress (WJCC) coordinated the political goals of a wide variety of women’s organizatio... Formed after the passage of the Woman Suffrage Amendment to the U.S. Constitution in 1920, the Women’s Joint Congressional Congress (WJCC) coordinated the political goals of a wide variety of women’s organizations. Affiliated with the League of Women Voters, the Women’s Trade Union League, the National Association of Colored Women, and other women’s organizations, the WJCC served as a lobbying clearinghouse for the political agendas of twelve million women. Their most successful effort was the passage of the Sheppard-Towner Maternity and Infancy Protection Act in 1921, in which Congress first allocated funds for human health. Attacks by hyper-patriots and business interests reduced the WJCC’s effectiveness after 1925. Show more Show less | 1920 | 1 | 4 | |
| Women's International League for Peace and Freedom | The Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) grew out of the International Congress of Women at The Hague, which brought together over 1,000 women in 1915 to work for a peaceful end to the war in... The Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) grew out of the International Congress of Women at The Hague, which brought together over 1,000 women in 1915 to work for a peaceful end to the war in Europe. Women who attended this first conference and whose writings are included in this digital archive include Jane Addams, Emily Greene Balch, Aletta Jacobs, and Chrystal Macmillan. Over the years, WILPF protested chemical and biological warfare, worked towards World Disarmament, and worked with both the League of Nations and the United Nations. Today, WILPF continues to work with the UN as an NGO as well as with national and local governments and promotes peace through non-violent means. WILPF-related materials in this digital archive include congress proceedings, correspondence between WILPF leaders, and reports about national peace and women’s movements. Show more Show less | 1915 | 53 | 176 | 1 |
| Women's Equity Action League | Elizabeth Boyer, an Ohio attorney, founded WEAL in 1968 to improve the status of women by focusing on legal and tax inequalities, and on discrimination in education and employment. WEAL explicitly distanced itself f... Elizabeth Boyer, an Ohio attorney, founded WEAL in 1968 to improve the status of women by focusing on legal and tax inequalities, and on discrimination in education and employment. WEAL explicitly distanced itself from more "radical" feminist organizations, such as NOW, that supported abortion and used picketing and demonstrations as key political tactics. With an emphasis on the economic and educational issues affecting women, WEAL challenged discriminatory employment ads, supported the Equal Rights Amendment, and litigated against sex discrimination at universities. Show more Show less | 1968 | 1 | 3 | |
| Women's Columbian Association | The Women's Columbian Association protested the limited participation of African Americans in organizational committees for the planning of the Chicago World’s Fair of 1893. | 1890 | 1 | ||
| Women's City Club of New York | Building on innovations of women like Lillian Wald in the field of women’s and infants’ public health, the Women’s City Club of New York (WCCNY) was founded in 1915. Since its founding the WCCNY has monitored... Building on innovations of women like Lillian Wald in the field of women’s and infants’ public health, the Women’s City Club of New York (WCCNY) was founded in 1915. Since its founding the WCCNY has monitored public policy and undertaken campaigns related to child health and sweatshops. Show more Show less | 1915 | 1 | 1 | |
| Women's Art Movement | During the 1970s at the height of the feminist movement, the Women's Art Movement began helping women artists create, exhibit, and frequently control the flow of their artwork, by utilizing alternative or cooperativ... During the 1970s at the height of the feminist movement, the Women's Art Movement began helping women artists create, exhibit, and frequently control the flow of their artwork, by utilizing alternative or cooperative spaces. Show more Show less | 1970 | 2 | 6 | |
| Women's Action Coalition | Formed in New York in 1992 as a direct-action protest group to advocate women’s rights, the Women’s Action Coalition (WAC) highlighted a range of issues including sexual assault against women and women’s under... Formed in New York in 1992 as a direct-action protest group to advocate women’s rights, the Women’s Action Coalition (WAC) highlighted a range of issues including sexual assault against women and women’s under-representation in the art world. WAC supporters numbered in the thousands, but internal divisions led to the group’s demise in 1995. Show more Show less | 1992 | 2 | ||
| Woman's Rights Convention Movement, 1848-1869 | After the first woman’s rights convention in Seneca Falls in 1848, the movement for women's rights accelerated. In 1850 the first National Woman's Rights Convention was held in Worcester, Massachusetts and similar... After the first woman’s rights convention in Seneca Falls in 1848, the movement for women's rights accelerated. In 1850 the first National Woman's Rights Convention was held in Worcester, Massachusetts and similar conventions were soon held all over the United States continuing throughout the decade. At these conventions male abolitionist leaders, including Wendell Phillips, William Lloyd Garrison, Theodore Parker and Thomas Wentworth Higginson, supported the movement while Lucretia Mott and Elizabeth Stanton, the two women considered the organizers of the Seneca Falls convention, spoke at and attended many of these subsequent meetings. Show more Show less | 1848 | 52 | ||
| Woman's Peace Party | Founded in January 1915, after the outbreak of World War I, the Woman's Peace Party worked to control armaments and called for a mediated settlement to the war. Members traveled to The Hague in 1915 to meet with wom... Founded in January 1915, after the outbreak of World War I, the Woman's Peace Party worked to control armaments and called for a mediated settlement to the war. Members traveled to The Hague in 1915 to meet with women peace supporters from European nations (see the document project, "How Did Women Activists Promote Peace in Their 1915 Tour of Warring European Capitals?" also on this website). At the conclusion of the war, Woman's Peace Party members traveled to an international conference in Zurich to protest the punitive stance of the Versailles Treaty toward defeated Germany. The conference led to the formation of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (see below) and the Woman's Peace Party became the American Section of WILPF. Show more Show less | 1915 | 9 | 16 | |
| Woman's National Loyal League | Under the leadership of Stanton and Anthony, the League organized women in support of the Union cause during the Civil War. Supporting first a constitutional amendment abolishing slavery, the League kept up pressure... Under the leadership of Stanton and Anthony, the League organized women in support of the Union cause during the Civil War. Supporting first a constitutional amendment abolishing slavery, the League kept up pressure for reform by supporting calls for black and woman suffrage. After the conclusion of the war, the group gave way to the American Equal Rights Association (see above) which promoted these causes. Show more Show less | 1863 | 3 | ||
| Woman's Christian Temperance Union | Founded in 1873, the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union quickly became the largest voluntary association in the United States. Working closely with the much-smaller woman suffrage movement, the WCTU endorsed woman... Founded in 1873, the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union quickly became the largest voluntary association in the United States. Working closely with the much-smaller woman suffrage movement, the WCTU endorsed woman suffrage in 1881, by which time it had become the most important vehicle for women’s participation in public life. Key to the WCTU’s prominence was Frances Willard’s leadership and her "Do Everything" policy, which enabled the Union to support a wide range of reform activities other than temperance, including prison reform, child welfare, women's employment, work among African Americans, public health, and woman suffrage. Show more Show less | 1873 | 28 | 109 | |
| Woman Suffrage Movement | Between 1848, when the woman suffrage movement was launched, and 1920, when the Nineteenth Amendment gave women the right to vote, the movement mobilized 480 campaigns in state legislatures, 277 campaigns in state c... Between 1848, when the woman suffrage movement was launched, and 1920, when the Nineteenth Amendment gave women the right to vote, the movement mobilized 480 campaigns in state legislatures, 277 campaigns in state conventions, and 19 campaigns in 19 successive congresses in addition to the ratification campaign of 1919-1920. Suffrage became the major vehicle for the advancement of women in American society more generally in this period. Show more Show less | 1848 | 7 | 110 | |
| White Cross Society, England | Founded in England in the early 1880s to help young men practice sexual abstinence. This group emerged in the United States in 1886 and they advocated a single standard of morality. Also part of the age of consent m... Founded in England in the early 1880s to help young men practice sexual abstinence. This group emerged in the United States in 1886 and they advocated a single standard of morality. Also part of the age of consent movement. Show more Show less | 1886 | 1 | ||
| Water Curists | Hydropathy was one of the most popular forms of medical care in the United States in the nineteenth century, particularly among women. Water-cure therapists rejected heroic treatments (such as bloodletting and purgi... Hydropathy was one of the most popular forms of medical care in the United States in the nineteenth century, particularly among women. Water-cure therapists rejected heroic treatments (such as bloodletting and purging to rid the body of “ill humors”) and emphasized healthy living practices: drinking plenty of water, application of cold water to the body, exposure to sunshine and fresh air, adequate physical exercise, and adoption of a simple diet and loose-fitting clothing. Show more Show less | 1840 | 1 | ||
| Voluntary Parenthood League | In 1918 Mary Ware Dennett and others formed the Voluntary Parenthood League (VPL) out of the National Birth Control League, formerly headed by Margaret Sanger. The main goal of the new group was the abolition of law... In 1918 Mary Ware Dennett and others formed the Voluntary Parenthood League (VPL) out of the National Birth Control League, formerly headed by Margaret Sanger. The main goal of the new group was the abolition of laws restricting access to birth control. Dennett left the League in 1925 when members voted to support Sanger’s effort to legalize birth control by giving doctors control of the distribution of contraception. Show more Show less | 1918 | 1 | ||
| Utopian Socialist Communities | The utopian Oneida Community survived in its original perfectionist form between 1848 and 1879. New Harmony in Indiana, the North American Phalanx in New Jersey and the Oneida Community in upstate New York were thre... The utopian Oneida Community survived in its original perfectionist form between 1848 and 1879. New Harmony in Indiana, the North American Phalanx in New Jersey and the Oneida Community in upstate New York were three of the most well-known nineteenth century utopian communities. Founders of these communities criticized private property and contemporary marriage practice and through their experimental communities intended to set an example to inspire wider social reform. Show more Show less | 1820 | 3 | ||
| Universal Negro Improvement Association and African Communities League | Jamaican-born Marcus Garvey founded the Universal Negro Improvement Association in 1914 to promote racial uplift and greater educational and industrial opportunities for Black people globally. Garvey’s Black natio... Jamaican-born Marcus Garvey founded the Universal Negro Improvement Association in 1914 to promote racial uplift and greater educational and industrial opportunities for Black people globally. Garvey’s Black nationalism promoted the establishment of a separate nation, the creation of educational institutions and better working conditions for blacks throughout the world. Though female "Garveyites" faced hierarchical limitations within the UNIA, they also fought to define their responsibilities as "New Negro Women" within the organization and the larger Black community. Between 1918 and 1933, the UNIA published The Negro World, which included women contributors, particularly in a section, "Our Women and What They Think," devoted to women’s issues. Show more Show less | 1929 | 21 | ||
| Tuskegee Institute | Founded in 1881, Tuskegee Institute is today Tuskegee University. Booker T. Washington, the Institute’s first president from 1881 until his death in 1915, exercised unprecedented power among African Americans part... Founded in 1881, Tuskegee Institute is today Tuskegee University. Booker T. Washington, the Institute’s first president from 1881 until his death in 1915, exercised unprecedented power among African Americans partly because his plan for black economic improvement without political rights was well funded by wealthy white donors. Called the "Atlanta Compromise," the plan emerged in 1895, stressing the need for practical, industrial training, such as that supplied by Tuskegee Institute, and minimizing the need for black political rights. Show more Show less | 1881 | 42 | ||
| Temperance Movement | The movement to limit the consumption of alcohol began around 1800, when alcohol consumption was at an all-time high in the United States. Sobriety became a value associated with modernizing trends that included sel... The movement to limit the consumption of alcohol began around 1800, when alcohol consumption was at an all-time high in the United States. Sobriety became a value associated with modernizing trends that included self control and individualism, and was supported by working-class as well as middle-class Protestants. Dominated by men before 1860, the temperance movement nevertheless offered women like Elizabeth Cady Stanton a forum where they developed public speaking skills. In the depression winter of 1873-74, the women’s temperance movement exploded in Ohio with public demonstrations in which women protested the effects of men’s alchohol consumption on women and families. Organized by the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union (WCTU), the women’s temperance movement worked closely with the woman suffrage movement and became the most important vehicle for the participation of both black and white women in public life between 1873 and 1900. Although WCTU membership remained high and their international efforts were notable after 1900, other women’s organizations emerged to shape women’s activism in the decades before 1920. The passage of the prohibition amendment to the U.S. constitution in 1919 was largely due to the efforts of men in the anti-saloon league, a much more conservative organization than the WCTU. Show more Show less | 1800 | 2 | 68 | |
| Students for a Democratic Society | Students for Democratic Society helped launch the student movement of the 1960s, leading the generation born after 1940 to identify themselves as culturally distinct from their elders. The Port Huron Statement, issu... Students for Democratic Society helped launch the student movement of the 1960s, leading the generation born after 1940 to identify themselves as culturally distinct from their elders. The Port Huron Statement, issued at the 1962 SDS convention, called for participatory democracy, and the right of people to shape the decisions that governed their lives. Early SDS projects focused on urban community organizing and civil rights. SDS grew dramatically as a leading voice of the student antiwar movement and was closely associated with the counterculture of the 1960’s. Growing factionalism led to the splintering of SDS in 1969 and the emergence of the Weather Underground. Show more Show less | 1960 | 83 | 216 | |
| Social Purity Movement | The social purity movement began in the 1870s in response to efforts to regulate prostitution in American cities; social purists organized to defeat efforts to regulate prostitution, believing that prostitution was... The social purity movement began in the 1870s in response to efforts to regulate prostitution in American cities; social purists organized to defeat efforts to regulate prostitution, believing that prostitution was a social evil that needed to be abolished. The key organization in this movement was the New York Committee for the Prevention of the State Regulation of Vice, led by Abby Hopper Gibbons, Emily Blackwell, Aaron Macy Powell and his wife, Anna Rice Powell, and Elizabeth Gay and founded in the 1870s. The movement’s main supporters consisted of white middle-class women as well as supporters from the suffrage movement and the Woman's Christian Temperance Union. Show more Show less | 1870 | 6 | ||
| Settlement House Movement | The first social settlement in the United States was founded in New York City in 1886; by 1910 there were 400 in cities throughout the United States. Settlements brought middle-class reformers to live in working-cl... The first social settlement in the United States was founded in New York City in 1886; by 1910 there were 400 in cities throughout the United States. Settlements brought middle-class reformers to live in working-class immigrant neighborhoods, where they undertook a variety of social reforms and became experts in the nation’s social, economic and political problems. Women dominated the movement, both as leaders and as settlement house residents. The effects of the movement were felt at the municipal, state and federal levels. Allied with trade unionists, intellectuals, medical professionals, immigrant leaders and reform politicians, settlement experts sought to Americanize recent immigrants and at the same time drafted legislation that promoted better living and working conditions for immigrant working people in American cities. Their effect continued in the New Deal of the 1930s. Show more Show less | 1886 | 3 | ||
| Second Great Awakening | "The Second Great Awakening” was a religious movement within Anglo-American Protestantism that emphasized the power of human agency when released from the bondage of sin. The Second Great Awakening was named after... "The Second Great Awakening” was a religious movement within Anglo-American Protestantism that emphasized the power of human agency when released from the bondage of sin. The Second Great Awakening was named after the Great Awakening of the 1740s, which it resembled and amplified. Called evangelical because it emphasized the “good news” from the New Testament gospels, it created the largest subculture within American public life. Because the separation of church and state in the United States (1776-1840) forced churches to rely financially on voluntary contributions rather than taxes, churches competed with one another for members which made laypeople more powerful. Because religion embraced Romanticism’s emphasis on human emotions, subjective experience became as important as theological doctrines. Influenced by these trends, and because women constituted a majority of most congregations, the voices of women became much more important in American religious life and thereby in American public life in the 1830s. Show more Show less | 1800 | 2 |
