Button, Political

Description

Two small "Opposed to Woman Suffrage" political buttons. The Maryland Association Opposed to Woman Suffrage (AOWS) was one of the largest anti-suffrage organizations in the country. Originally established as the "Baltimore" AOWS on January 4, 1911, the quickly expanded and changed the name to become the Maryland chapter on February 20. The National AOWS was established in New York in November of that year. The chapter received support from both Maryland Republicans and Democrats, religious officials, and business leaders. The organization was primarily driven by two individuals: Mary Buchanan Coale Redwood (1861-1939) and Katherine Barker Johnson Garrett (1885-1961). Even after the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment in 1920, the chapter continued the fight to overturn the amendment in the United States Supreme Court. Following the decision of Leser v. Garnett (1922), the organization dissolved.