Transcriber’s Note Italic text displayed as: _italic_ Bold text displayed as: =bold= [Illustration: D. C. Bloomer(signature)] LIFE AND WRITINGS OF AMELIA BLOOMER BY D. C. BLOOMER, LL. D. WITH PORTRAITS [Illustration: Art for Truth] BOSTON ARENA PUBLISHING COMPANY COPLEY SQUARE 1895 Republished 1976 Scholarly Press, Inc., 22929 Industrial Drive East St. Clair Shores, Michigan 48080 COPYRIGHTED, 1895, BY D. C. BLOOMER. =Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data= Bloomer, Dexter C 1820-1900. Life and writings of Amelia Bloomer. Reprint of the ed. published by Arena Pub. Co., Boston. 1. Bloomer, Amelia Jenks, 1818-1894. 2. Women’s rights—United States. I. Title. HQ1413.B6B6 1975b 301.41’2’0924 72-78650 ISBN 0-403-01994-X TO MY WIFE. PREFACE. As Mrs. Bloomer was one of the pioneers in what is sometimes called the “Woman’s Movement,” it seems right that a record of her work should be placed in durable form. Such a record I have endeavored to set forth in the following pages. While giving a brief narrative of her life, I have also included, as being most satisfactory, quite extended extracts from her writings; and one of her lectures is printed in full. I will add for the information of the curious that a complete bound copy in one volume of the LILY, as printed and issued by Mrs. Bloomer for six years, is deposited in the State Library, in Albany, N. Y., and is probably the only copy of that work in existence. D. C. BLOOMER. September, 1895. CONTENTS. PAGE PREFACE v CHAPTER I. HER EARLY LIFE—HER MARRIAGE—TIPPECANOE AND TYLER, TOO!—A WRITER FOR NEWSPAPERS—WASHINGTONIANISM—JOINS THE CHURCH 7 CHAPTER II. UNJUST LAWS FOR WOMEN—REFORM BEGINS—WOMEN TO THE FRONT—MRS. BLOOMER THINKS ABOUT IT 28 CHAPTER III. SHE WRITES ABOUT IT—BIRTH OF THE _LILY_—NEW WORK FOR HER—FIRST IN THE FIELD—MRS. STANTON APPEARS—MRS. BLOOMER CONVERTED—BECOMES ASSISTANT POSTMASTER—THE _LILY_ ON HER HANDS—VISITS NEW YORK CITY—MISS ANTHONY IS INTRODUCED—MRS. BLOOMER ON THE TENNESSEE LEGISLATURE—FOR WOMAN SUFFRAGE—LETTER TO AKRON CONVENTION—“RULING A WIFE” 38 CHAPTER IV. THE REFORM DRESS—WOMAN’S ATTIRE—FASHION IN DRESS 65 CHAPTER V.