02-05/06-95 Women of Achievement and Herstory 

      The weekend's double entry ...

02-05 Anniversaries -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

      Event 02-05-1777, Georgia's constitution "abrogated" the male entail
and primogeniture, those two bulwarks of ancient patriarchal thievery.

      B. 02-05-1788 Sarah Goodridge, esteemed miniature portrait painter
who learned to draw on birch bark with a pin.  Her commissions
supported her family.

      B. 02-05-1873(1?), Maxine Elliott, after a brilliant acting career
opened her own theater, the Maxine Elliott as the first woman manager
and owner of a theatre in New York City (1908.)  Moved to England
where she became the toast of society and very wealthy whether from
her own efforts or the market tips from her many male admirers is not
known. Was decorated by the Belgium, French, and British governments
for her work during World War I which often took her the front lines
in the path of danger. 

02-06 Anniversaries -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

      B. 02-06-1577 Beatrice Cenci, was one of the first women publicly
executed for killing her father to defend herself from his violent rapes
of her (incest). The euphemism used at her trial was "grossly ill
treated" by her father. The court acknowledged the crime but said
killing the father was worse. 

      B. 02-06-1665 Queen Ann, last British monarch to have power to
veto parliamentary legislation and did so.  Overthrew Whig government. 
Strong-minded ruler who suffered from a serious eating disorder.  

      B. 02-06-1879 Katharine Elizabeth Fullerton Gerould, author. Many
of her short stories are anthologized and then critiqued they are said
to have been influenced by every male writer of the times.

      B. 02-06-1912, Eva Braun, mistress, then wife, of Adolph Hitler.
Murdered by Hitler in the last days of the Third Reich just before he
committed suicide to avoid being captured by the Russians. 

Quote du jours -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

       "Let every woman ask herself: 'Why am I the slave of Man?  Why
is my brain said not to be the equal of his brain?  Why is my work not
paid equally with his?  Why must my body be controlled by my
husband?  Why may he take my labor in the household, giving me in
exchange what he deems fit?  Why may he take my children from me? 
Will them away while yet unborn?'  Let every woman ask."  
                    --Voltaraine de Cleyre (1866-1912) 

      "I never expect men to GIVE us liberty.  No, women, we are not
WORTH it, until we TAKE it."
                    --Voltaraine de Cleyre (1866-1912)

      In a letter to her mother Voltaraine wrote, "Every individual
should have room or rooms for himself [sic] exclusively ... a 'closet'
where each could 'pray in secret' without some persons who love him
assuming the right to walk in and do as they please.  And do you know
how I was pleased beyond measure the other day to find that William
Godwin and Mary Wollstonecraft taught and as far as possible practiced
the  same thing, just 100 years ago."
                    -- Voltaraine de Cleyre (1866-1912)


(C) 1995 Irene Stuber, PO Box 6185, Hot Springs National Park, AR
71902, irenestuber@delphi.com. Distribute verbatim copies freely with
copyright notice for non-profit use. Don't let anyone tell you there
weren't notable and effective women throughout history.  They were
always there, but historians failed to note them in our histories so that
each generation of women has had to reinvent themselves.