Document Type

Presentation

Publication Date

November 2009

Publication Title

34th Annual Meeting of the Social Science and History Association

Keywords

feminism, human rights, peace movement

Disciplines

Archival Science | History of Gender | Political History | Social History | United States History | Women's History | Women's Studies

Abstract

In this paper, I will explore the role of local peace activist and feminist, Florence Ledyard Kitchelt (1874-1961) in supporting social justice, equality, and world peace. In 1924 Kitchelt accepted a paid position with the Connecticut League of Nation’s Association (CLNA), and for nearly twenty years she served as secretary and director of the organization. Working through the CLNA she canvassed the state promoting peace education and to building support for the League of Nations and the World Court. In 1925 she traveled to Geneva to study the League of Nations and attended the Assembly. Between the wars she worked on the National Committee on the Cause for the Cure of War (NCCW), the Emergency Peace Campaign (EPC), and organized local disarmament conferences and Model Assemblies for high school students. As a peace activist and feminist, Kitchelt tenaciously held a global perspective and became a local advocate and organizer for human rights. Her peace activism intersected with her interests in women’s rights and social reform, and at the end of her life she worked with the National Women’s Party and other organizations to support the passage of the Equal Rights Amendment. Her understanding of international law and belief in human rights inspired her to promote equal rights while supporting U.S. adoption of the United Nations Charter. Kitchelt’s work for international peace and promotion of the ERA reflect her views as a humanist and social activist.

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