First Advisor

Patricia Schechter

Term of Graduation

Fall 2001

Date of Publication

10-23-2001

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (M.A.) in History

Department

History

Language

English

Subjects

Women -- Political activity -- Oregon -- History -- 20th century, Woman's Christian Temperance Union, Woman's Organization for National Prohibition Reform, Nan Wood Honeyman (1881-1970)

Physical Description

1 online resource (182 pages)

Abstract

The history of women during the 1930's, as well as the history of women in Oregon in general, is a widely neglected topic. This thesis attempts to remedy this situation by chronicling one particular aspect of women in Oregon history in the 1930's - women in politics - using the life of Nan Wood Honeyman as a reference point. As the first woman to go to Congress from the state of Oregon, Honeyman acts as a very interesting model for viewing the conditions of women in politics during this time.

In order to better describe the political situation of women in the 1930's, this thesis also includes two chapters that focus on the roots of women's political involvement in Oregon. The first chapter focuses on the work of both women's suffrage and women's temperance organizations in drawing women into the public sphere, and leading to the voting rights of woman citizens, recognizing the importance of both parallel though sometimes competing forces. The second chapter compares the Women's Christian Temperance Union and the Women's Organization for Prohibition Reform and traces the transformation of women's political involvement from the seemingly exclusive defense of temperance to the support of Prohibition repeal. The diversity of women's political views is central to this discussion.

In Chapter Three, the career of Honeyman as a state legislator serves as an important model to understanding the role of women in the Democratic party at the state level, and the network of connections that united political women throughout the country in unions of reciprocity. These connections are further explored in Chapter Four, in which the national career of Honeyman is explored along with the double standards that prevented women from achieving anything more than minimal amounts of political power.

Although Honeyman was only in national office for one legislative term, this thesis concludes that she helped to further the political position of women in Oregon and that though women did not make substantial political gains during this period, there were some important and subtle advances.

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Persistent Identifier

https://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/44995

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