Short Biography: Rebecca Ann Latimer Felton

Rebecca Ann Latimer Felton born on June 10, 1835 – January 24, 1930. She was an American writer, lecturer, reformer, and politician. Besides, she was the first woman to serve in the United States Senate. On the other hand, in Rebecca's family, she was the oldest of four children. When she was fifteen years old, her life changed completely. Rebecca's dad was planning to give to her a better lifestyle. He wanted his daughter to have a better education, so he “had sent her to live with family members in the town of Madison, Georgia so she could attend Madison Female College, where she graduated at the top of her class at age 17 in 1852.” (en.wikipedia.org). Other factor in Rebecca's life is that she was engaged to William Harrell Felton. After a long time that Felton graduated from Madison Female College, Felton and her boyfriend decided to make a decision that marked them the rest of their lives. “In 1853, she married her husband William Harrell Felton at her home and moved to live with him on his plantation just north of Cartersville, Georgia. She gave birth to five children, however, only Howard Erwin Felton survived childhood.” (en.wikipedia.org). After Rebecca suffered the death of her four children. This did not mean that she lost faith
in order to become involved in politics. Another, of the advantages that helped Rebecca better understand politics was her husband. “William H. Felton, a local physician active in liberal Democratic politics. She assisted her husband in his political career (as a U.S. congressman and later in the state legislature), writing speeches, planning campaign strategy, and later helping draft legislation.” (www.britannica.com). The Felton's were able to achieve great projects. They knew how to work as a team, but more than anything they had good communication between them. “Together the Felton promoted penal reform, temperance, and women’s rights. Rebecca Felton was equally outspoken in her prejudice against African Americans and Jews and her advocacy of child labor and lynching, views for which her column in the Atlanta Journal was a popular forum.” (www.britannica.com). An equally significant aspect was the death of Senator Thomas E. Watson caused an opening vacancy for someone to cover his position. This was an opportunity for Rebecca. Governor Thomas Hardwick "could afford to appoint a woman to the vacant seat until a successor was elected, thus extending an "olive branch" to the women whose votes he would need in the coming election. Senator Watson's widow was Hardwick's first choice; after she declined, the governor approached Rebecca." (www.senate.gov). Rebecca was convinced that she had to convince the congress on approving the Nineteenth Amendment. Years later, Rebecca was part of the United States policy.
Upon her arrival, she looked forward to seeing companionship in the congress. However, a big surprise Rebecca found on the congress when anyone wanted to help her with her proposal that women could vote. More than one person in Congress hated Rebecca, but none like Mildred L. Rutherford. “During a 1915 debate with Rutherford and other anti-suffragists before the Georgia legislative committee, the chairman allowed each of the anti-suffragists to speak for 45 min but demanded Felton stop speaking after the allotted 30 min. Felton ignored him and spoke for an extra 15 min, at one point making fun of Rutherford and implicitly accusing her of hypocrisy.”
(en.wikipedia.org). After a few months that Rebecca was part of politics. She could not believe what was happening. She did not understand why some people find it difficult to give a chance to another human being. “Felton criticized what she saw as the hypocrisy of Southern men who boasted of superior Southern "chivalry" but opposed women's rights, and she expressed her dislike of the fact that Southern states resisted women's suffrage longer than other regions of the US.” (en.wikipedia.org). On the other hand, the women began enrolling in the policy in which most of the men disagreed with this decision. “Governor Thomas Hardwick, who had opposed the Nineteenth Amendment giving women the vote.” (www.senate.gov). Also, one of the states that helped women to become part of the policy was New Hampshire. “The first woman elected to Congress was Jeanette Rankin, who was elected to the House of Representatives in 1916 - four years before women in America were allowed to vote nationally.” (www.theguardian.com).