Mother’s influence changed history
Mother's Day 2020 should honor a rural Tennessee woman for her role in changing the lives of millions of women one hundred years ago in an especially critical vote. Let's take a little stroll along the line of time to offer context and appreciate the magnitude of this Mcminn County, Tennessee woman in 1920.
The third wave of the “Spanish flu” – an H1N1 influenza - was a recent memory to Tennesseans after a three-year pandemic took the lives of an estimated 3% of the world's population and more than 675,000 Americans.
World War I, which unfolded as the pandemic raged on, had concluded with the armistice between global allies and Germany on November 1918. In the midst of these dramatic world events was another significant movement.
On June 4, 1919, the U.S. Congress passed legislation granting voting rights to women.
The Nineteenth Amendment answered a 72-year-long demand for equality with these simple words: “The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.” To be added to the U.S. Constitution, however, the amendment would require 36 of the current 48 states to pass it in their own state legislatures.
Tennessee women fought for suffrage across all three Grand Divisions
Absent modern mass communication tools, women had been hosting meetings in their parlors at homes and in their neighborhoods. Letters were written and chapters of suffragists, previously committed to their part of the war effort while men served abroad, were now singularly focused on statewide efforts to gain women the right to vote.
The suffrage effort in Tennessee was not limited to large cities. History holds that the first suffrage association was formed by Lide Smith Meriwether in Memphis in 1889, but it was closely followed by a chapter in the bosom of the mountains in Maryville in 1893, a year prior to Nashville's Woman Suffrage Association.
Ten active groups were leading the work to create support for women's full voting rights in our state by 1897, stretching from Jonesborough up in Washington County down to Tullahoma and across the three grand divisions.
The year after the Nashville Woman Suffrage chapter formed, a mother gave birth to her first child. Febb Ensminger Burn was a teacher who graduated from the U.S. Grant Memorial University – now Tennessee Wesleyan – and was married to a stationmaster at the Niota depot. Little did she know in 1895 that her newborn son would be elected to the Tennessee House of Representatives at twenty-two years of age to represent rural Mcminn County.
By Mother's Day 1920, a celebration just begun in 1908, thirty-five states had
successfully passed the Nineteenth Amendment with only one final state needed — yet, only Tennessee seemed to offer that ray of hope.
Febb Burn was now widowed and overseeing her family's farm, but she subscribed to four newspapers and read books to keep up with current events including the controversial legislation making its way to Tennessee.
Harry T. Burn, at 24, would play an unforgettable role in the state that became the last hope – the 36th state – to pass legislation supporting women's voting rights. Burn was the junior statesman to a loud opponent, or Anti, Tennessee Senator Herschel M. Candler.
The elder statesman's fiery speech opposing the legislation influenced his colleague to join him in donning a red rose boutonniere rather than the yellow rose supporting woman suffrage.
Febb Burn to her son: ‘Hurrah and vote for Suffrage’
In the heat of the August special session, all eyes focused on Nashville and the House floor. After several tie votes to table the legislation, a made-for-tvmoment occurred. Tennessee Rep. Harry Burn held in his coat pocket something more meaningful than his red rose boutonniere – a letter from his mother, Febb, supporting a yellow-rose vote for women.
Tennesseans today can read the digital copy of Febb's free-flowing letter, which covers topics like the rainy weather, a wedding, Uncle Bill's Ford, and one message that reads loud and clear - “Hurrah and vote for Suffrage” on page two of the seven-page note. She admonished her son again on page six to “Be a good boy” in advocating for women.
On Aug. 18, 1920, Harry Burn shouted “aye” to the vote that changed history, joining other suffrage supporters as the words from his mom rested near and in his heart. Febb Burn's love and influence made Tennessee and American history.
Yes, then as today, the role of Mothers is celebrated and valued. Happy Mother's Day…with a Tennessee Yellow Rose!
This guest column was written by members of the Official Committee of the State of Tennessee Woman Suffrage Centennial. The members are:
Rep. Robin Smith, R-hixson; Sen. Mike Bell, R-riceville; Rep. Patsy Hazlewood, R-signal Mountain; from the Tennessee State Museum: Ashley Howell (executive director), Jeff Sellers, Joe Pagetta, and Lee Curtis; Ann Toplovich, executive director of Tennessee Historical Society; from the Tennessee State Library and Archives: Jami Awalt, Patsy Mitchell, Kelly Wilkerson and Kadie Patterson; Jill Kilgore of the Tennessee Department of Tourism; Linda Moss Mines; Bethany Bowman; Gina Standefer; from Tennessee State Parks: Jerry Wooten, Laura Franklin and Jessica Gossett.