The Women S Suffrage Petition

In May 2017 the exhibition He Tohu opened at the National Library in Wellington. This celebrates three founding documents in New Zealand’s history – He Whakaputanga: The Declaration of Independence (1835), the Treaty of Waitangi: Te Tiriti o Waitangi (1840) and the Women’s Suffrage Petition (1893). The originals of these documents are on display at the National Library, in a wonderful exhibition that tells the history of the times and the story of the documents themselves. Three slim paperbacks showcase each of the documents, published by BWB in conjunction with the National Library and Archives New Zealand. Each book is focused on the document itself, and feature a facsimile of the document (or part of it). The documents are framed by an introduction from leading scholars (Claudia Orange, Vincent O’Malley and Barbara Brookes), and a Māori perspective on the document in te reo. Short biographies of many signatories are included – showing the wide range of people who signed. The books are printed in full colour so that the richness of these significant, old documents is shown.

Biographical information of suffragists followed by a contextual essay.

The definitive account of the New Zealand suffrage movement, Women's Suffrage in New Zealand remains the only study of how New Zealand became the first country in the world to give women the vote. It tells the fascinating story of the courage and the determination of the early New Zealand feminists led by the remarkable Kate Sheppard, whose ideas and attitudes still resonate today.

"In late July 1893 a roll of 546 petition sheets, glued end to end and wound around a length of broom handle, was dramatically unfurled across the floor of Parliament to reveal the names of almost 24,000 New Zealand women seeking the right to vote. As a result, a new Electoral Act was signed into law on to September, making New Zealand the first self-governing country in the world where all women could vote in parliamentary elections. In the National Library the Women's Suffrage Petition stands proud as one of the nation's landmark documents, alongside the Treaty of Waitangi and the 1835 Declaration of the Independence of New Zealand. The petition's great roll included Sheet 370, signed by 56 women (and one man), nearly all living on small family farms in Clevedon-Wairoa South. This is the story of who they were, and how they signed this rural district into history."--Publisher's description.

In May 2017 the exhibition He Tohu opened at the National Library in Wellington. This celebrates three founding documents in New Zealand’s history – He Whakaputanga: The Declaration of Independence (1835), the Treaty of Waitangi: Te Tiriti o Waitangi (1840) and the Women’s Suffrage Petition (1893). The originals of these documents are on display at the National Library, in a wonderful exhibition that tells the history of the times and the story of the documents themselves. Three slim paperbacks showcase each of the documents, published by BWB in conjunction with the National Library and Archives New Zealand. Each book is focused on the document itself, and feature a facsimile of the document (or part of it). The documents are framed by an introduction from leading scholars (Claudia Orange, Vincent O’Malley and Barbara Brookes), and a Māori perspective on the document in te reo. Short biographies of many signatories are included – showing the wide range of people who signed. The books are printed in full colour so that the richness of these significant, old documents is shown.

While women were part of American history from the outset, they did not win the right to vote until 1920. Readers of this engrossing history of the women’s suffrage movement will discover its roots in the abolitionist movement. They’ll read about the Declaration of Sentiments from the 1848 women’s rights convention in Seneca Falls, New York, which stated, “all men and women are created equal.” The book also discusses how the fight for women’s rights continued after the right to vote had been won. An illustrated timeline, map, and treasure trove of historical photos enrich the learning experience.