Votes for Women! - A Chautauqua Event

Madeline McDowell Breckinridge- or Madge, as she preferred- was both a state and national leader of the women’s suffrage movement, and was highly instrumental in Kentucky’s ratification of the 19th Amendment, granting American women the right to vote. Born in Franklin County and raised in Lexington, Madge, the great-granddaughter of Henry Clay, was expected to dedicate her life to public service- but she surpassed every expectation. While her biggest triumph was the women’s suffrage movement, Madge was also a progressive reformer who worked tirelessly to advance the living conditions of the poor, established educational programs, changed the outlook on child welfare and juvenile rehabilitation, and promoted the needs for tuberculosis research. Unafraid and unapologetic, Madge used every opportunity to reach anyone who would listen.  She recited countless speeches and marched in many demonstrations, calling for “Votes for Women” – and proudly cast her ballot in the U. S. Presidential Election of 1920.