Nellie McClung

A biography written by Louisa Ali

**Emily Murphy, Henreita Edward, Louise McKinney and Irene Parlby were other Canadian suffragettes who were fighting alongside McClung. The five ladies were known as “the famous five”

Fact:

In 1908, Nellie Mclung had gotten her best selling book called "Sowing the Seeds in Danny" published.

Nellie McClung

Nellie McClung was a young and brave Canadian who fought for women to have the right to vote as well as equality for women all around Canada.

The Beginning of the Fight for Equality

The Suffrage

The Journey Starts

To prove to the people who opposed women’s suffrage* were wrong, the suffragettes use their wit instead of taking drastic measures (e.g hunger strike)

So, in 1914, McClung (as well as many other Suffragettes**) created a stage play. In the play, the MEN were fighting for the right to vote in parliament. McClung played the part of Roblin (Manitoba’s premier). The other suffragettes took the roles of the members of parliament. It was a big success.

Hellen Mooney (nicknamed Nellie) was born on October 25th, 1873 in Chatsworth, Ontario. her family had moved to to Souris Valley, Manitoba when she was at the young age of 7 years old. By 1883, when she was 10, she began her education. She had found a teaching job in Manitou, Manitoba after she had gotten through her lessons quite quickly and had earned her teaching certificate. There, she had gotten married to Robert Wesley McClung in 1896 and the two had started rasing a family of four children together.

In 1911, Nellie and her family had moved to Winnipeg, Manitoba. There, she became part of the Women's Press Club. She was also invited to give speeches on behalf of the women’s movement. As she did these speaking engagements, she had become more interested with the world of Canadian politics. In her fight to gain the right to vote, her primary adversary was Manitoba’s premier, Sir Rodmon Roblin.

It was Roblin mainly because he (as well as his supporters) had the thought that it was too dangerous for women to get involved with politics or even allow them vote. They had the idea that if they had a chance to vote, they would lose their natural sense of moratlity and nurturing. Also, the men believed women just weren’t smart enough to handle the complexity of politics.

*Just so you know, Women’s suffrage is a movement which involves women fighting for the right to vote the same way men do in political elections.

The Amazing Victory

Why i chose her

The End of the Journey

It took a lot of hard work, but McClung and her fellow suffragettes had finally help themselves and all the other women earn to right to vote when in 1916, the provincial government declared that all women in Manitoba had won the right to vote in provincial elections. Later on in 1917, they let women of Saskatchewan and Alberta vote as well. That same year, the federal government decided to do the same. So from then on, women could vote in federal elections, however, they could only vote if themselves or someone from their family served in the armed forces. But, by 1918, all women could vote in federal elections.

Later on in 1933, she and her family had moved westward to Vancouver, British Columbia where she began to compose her autobiography. That same year, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation had appointed her for a position in the board of governors. Also, the League of Nations had chosen her for the position of delegate. she had died on September 1st, 1951 at the age of 78.

“Nellie McClung dedicated her life not only to her family, but also to changing her country.”(McGill, Sara Ann, 2005). She had fought long and hard to give women the right to vote in provincal and federal elections as well as the chance to get a hold of high positions within the Canadian government. She is truly an amazing Canadian.

I chose Nellie McClung as the person I would like to write a biography on because we both connected. We connected because I am and she was a woman living in the developing world. This meant I could understand how it felt to have such mean discrimination that was put towards women as well as what it is like to not be considered as a person and not be treated fairly the way men were back when she was alive. An example of this discrimination would be men saying women weren't smart enough to understand the complexity of politics. . Also, I we both thought the same way. We both thought that it is not fair how women don’t have the same rights as men do like the right to vote and speak their minds about politics and that something should be done about it.

Even though they had the right to vote, according to the law, they still weren’t considered “persons” quite yet which meant they could not take the position in the senate. So, McClung and her colleagues had entered into the battle for personhood. But, when they brought the case to the Canadian Government, they declined the argument. So, the Persons case was brought to the Privy Council in London, England and McClung and the people working alongside her had won the case in 1929. By doing this, they had given women all around Canada the legal right to hold the position of senate as well as Prime Minister.

Bibliography

Information

Title: Nellie McClung Name of Author: McGill, Sara Ann

URL: http://web.ebscohost.com/hrc/detail?vid=3&sid=c647c65d-a385-4547-acdc-f1fca4ff429c%40sessionmgr110&hid=122&bdata=JnNpdGU9aHJjLWxpdmU%3d#db=khh&AN=18053867

Source: History Reference Center

Title: Women's Suffrage Name of Author: Pleck, Elizabeth H URL: http://go.grolier.com/ Source: Grolier Encyclopedia

Pictures

Source: Google URL: http://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1366&bih=609&q=nellie+mcclung&oq=Nellie+McClung&gs_l=img.3.0.0l7j0i5j0i24l2.7008.12443.0.14271.14.14.0.0.0.0.119.1289.12j2.14.0...0.0...1ac.1.5.img.i0ZeV-IqaX0