Amelia Bloomer

Jamie ShirtzLindsay Berish

Period 8

Born May 27, 1818 in Homer, NY Little formal education Worked for women’s rights and belonged to the

suffrage temperance movements Married Dexter Bloomer around 1840 Had little formal education Began writing for husband’s newspaper, The

Seneca Falls County Courier Began The Lily in 1849 Best known for fashion reform Died December 31, 1894 in Council Bluffs, Iowa

Biography

Women’s fight for equality

Voting Education Work Property

Fashion Reform: Clothing not comfortable or

practical Wanted functional

everyday clothing

Women’s Rights

Women’s Rights advocate Began by writing in husband’s

newspaper on contemporary social issues: The Seneca Falls County Courier

She edited the first newspaper for women: The Lily

Emphasized feminist ideals through writing

Dress Reform: Bloomers

Amelia’s Contributions

The first newspaper by a woman Issued from 1849 to 1853 Began as a committee of women authors, lost

popularity and dropped to only her Supposed to be for “home distribution” but

encountered issues Originally a temperance newspaper, gained

devotion to women’s rights and equality Contained a mix of topics Included readers’ articles Served as a record of the feminists arguments

The Lily

“It is woman that speaks through The Lily…Intemperance is the great foe to her peace and happiness. It is that above all that has made her Home desolate and beggared her offspring… Surely, she has the right to wield her pen for its Suppression. Surely, she may without throwing aside the modest refinements which so much become her sex, use her influence to lead her fellow mortals from the destroyer’s path.”

In the First Issue

Previous clothing such as corsets

and long dresses impractical Proposed loose shirt, skirt, and

pants underneath Made it famous with articles in The

Lily Wore it herself

Named “bloomers” after her Pants made appearance closer to

the men

Bloomers

“The costume of women should be suited to her wants and necessities. It should conduce at once to her health, comfort, and usefulness; and, while it should not fail also to conduce to her personal adornment, it should make that end of secondary importance.”

Amelia Bloomer

Supported Women’s Rights Movement Gave feminists a stronger voice Published feminists ideas Gave women the ability to choose comfort over appearance Closed the gap between men and women by an important amount

Effect

"The Lily." Accessible Archives. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Apr. 2013. <http://www.accessible-archives.com/collections/thelily/>.

"Amelia Bloomer." 2013. The Biography Channel website. Apr 02 2013.http://www.biography.com/people/amelia-bloomer-9216245

"Amelia Bloomer." National Park Service. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Apr. 2013. <http://www.nps.gov/wori/historyculture/amelia-bloomer.htm>.

"The Lily." Elmira College. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Apr. 2013. <http://faculty.elmira.edu/dmaluso/loislane/lily/lily.html>.

"Amelia Bloomer." Kenyon College. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Apr. 2013. <http://www2.kenyon.edu/Khistory/frontier/ameliabloomer.htm>.

Homer, Trevor. Born in the USA: The Book of American Origins. New York: Skyhorse, 2009. Print.

Citations