On August 6, 1890 the Arkansas Woman Suffrage Association held its annual meeting in the Hall of Representatives at Little Rock.
The meeting opened with a rousing rendition of “The Battle Hymn of the Republic.”
This choice of song is emblematic of the attitudes of Arkansas women at the heart of the suffrage battle. But there was another reason for the musical selection. This Civil War-Era song was written by Julia Ward Howe, an ardent suffragist and much sought-after speaker at women’s rights events.
At one such event in 1891 Howe exclaimed, “We are not drifting, but marching toward a better state of affairs.”
To learn more, visit ARvotesforwomen.com.