Frances Willard was an educator, reformer, and suffragist. Do you know who a suffragist is? To put it simply, a suffragist is a person who fought for a woman’s right to vote. She started her career by teaching at a variety of institutions for ten years. She went on a world tour with her friend Kate Jackson in 1868, and returned to Evanston to become head of North Western Female College.
By 1874, Willard’s ideas had clashed with those of the university president, and she resigned. She then accepted the presidency of the Chicago Women’s Christian Temperance Union. In 1874, temperance activism became the focus of her life. The temperance movement of the 19th century was an organized effort to fight against the consumption of intoxicating liquors, and its ill effects on the family, and society.
In addition to temperance, Frances Willard promoted women’s rights, suffrage, equal pay for equal work, and an eight-hour day. She joined forces with the Prohibition Party and in 1890, plunged into the formation of a People’s Party, but her foray into politics was not very successful. She will always be remembered as marvellous teacher, an excellent speaker, a successful lobbyist, and an expert in forming public opinion.