Carrie Chapman Catt

Meach

Mr Moynahn

American Studies 2

March 4th, 2013

Carrie Chapman Catt

Carrie Chapman Catt was born on January 9th, 1859 in Ripon, Wisconsin. Her parents Lucius and Maria Lane had her along with two other children. Her parents graduated high school, married and traveled west to Cleveland, Ohio. Lucius had a partnership in a coal business. After that, they moved Ripon, Wisconsin as the father worked as a farmer. When Carrie was seven they moved to Charles City, Iowa.

In 1877, Carrie graduated high school. From that moment on her father did not financially support Carries ambition to attend college. Carrie found a way to make money by teaching. A year later she had enough income to attend Iowa State Agricultural College. During her two years there, she worked in the state library and college kitchen. She attended attorney offices to read law in aspiring to become a lawyer. One year later she was teaching high school in Mason City, Iowa and realized her career she enjoyed the most was teaching.

When Carrie was only 13 years old, her father was leaving to admit his vote, she questioned to her mom as to why she wasn’t going with him. Her mother replied that simply this duty was only for men. This was a turning point for Carrie, and made her aware of the ways of our political structure as far a rights.

In 1885, Carrie married Leo Chapman, quit teaching and became Leos business partner. Leo died of typhoid fever only a year later after marriage. She continued to live in San Francisco and became a journalist. She was assaulted by a male associate one evening which made her feel enraged by the vulnerability by women that the public expressed. So she began to make a difference and strived to change that.

She joined Iowa branch of the Women’s Christian Temperance Union, and became head of the suffrage section. Carrie was more involved in women’s rights. Elected secretary of the Iowa Woman Suffrage Association. She was creating suffrage clubs. She was...