Madeline McDowell Breckinridge
Encyclopedia
Madeline McDowell Breckinridge (May 20, 1872 – November 25, 1920) was a leader of the women’s suffrage movement and one of Kentucky
's leading Progressive reformers
. She was also known as Madge Breckinridge and Mrs. Desha Breckinridge.
She was born in Woodlake, Kentucky
and grew up at Ashland, The Henry Clay Estate, the farm established by her great-grandfather, nineteenth-century statesman Henry Clay
. Her mother was Henry Clay, Jr.
's daughter, Anne Clay McDowell, and her father was Major Henry Clay McDowell
(a namesake of Henry Clay), who served during the American Civil War
on the Union
side. They purchased the Ashland estate in 1882. One of her brothers was federal judge Henry C. McDowell, Jr.. Another, Thomas was a renowned Thoroughbred
racehorse owner/breeder and trainer who won the 1902 Kentucky Derby
.
She was educated in Lexington, Kentucky
and at Miss Porter's School
in Farmington, Connecticut, and at State College (now the University of Kentucky
) intermittently between 1890-1894. In 1898 Madeline McDowell married Desha Breckinridge
, the editor of the Lexington Herald and a brother of the pioneering social worker Sophonisba Breckinridge
. The Breckinridges together used the newspaper's editorial pages to promote political and social causes of the Progressive Era
, especially programs for the poor, child welfare and for women's rights
.
The Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution
was passed shortly before she died. She was able to vote only once in her life, in the November United States presidential election, 1920
, before suffering a stroke and dying on Thanksgiving Day, at the age of 48.
)
Madeline married Desha Breckinridge
, who came from a notable American family. The members of the family include John C. Breckinridge
and Bunny Breckinridge
. Madeline was also a cousin of Dr. Ephraim McDowell
and American Civil War
Union General Irvin McDowell
. Her cousin, Laura Clay
, founded the Kentucky Equal Rights Association in 1912, of which Madeline later became president.
A biography: http://www.womeninkentucky.com/site/reform/m_breckinridge.html
Information on her childhood home: http://www.henryclay.org/
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
's leading Progressive reformers
Progressivism in the United States
Progressivism in the United States is a broadly based reform movement that reached its height early in the 20th century and is generally considered to be middle class and reformist in nature. It arose as a response to the vast changes brought by modernization, such as the growth of large...
. She was also known as Madge Breckinridge and Mrs. Desha Breckinridge.
She was born in Woodlake, Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
and grew up at Ashland, The Henry Clay Estate, the farm established by her great-grandfather, nineteenth-century statesman Henry Clay
Henry Clay
Henry Clay, Sr. , was a lawyer, politician and skilled orator who represented Kentucky separately in both the Senate and in the House of Representatives...
. Her mother was Henry Clay, Jr.
Henry Clay, Jr.
Henry Clay, Jr. was an American politician and soldier from Kentucky, the third son of US Senator and Congressman Henry Clay and Lucretia Hart Clay. He was elected to the Kentucky House of Representatives in 1835 and served one term...
's daughter, Anne Clay McDowell, and her father was Major Henry Clay McDowell
Henry Clay McDowell
Henry Clay McDowell was an American businessman and noted Standardbred horse breeder.In 1857, he married Anne Smith Clay, daughter of Henry Clay, Jr. with whom he had seven children...
(a namesake of Henry Clay), who served during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
on the Union
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
side. They purchased the Ashland estate in 1882. One of her brothers was federal judge Henry C. McDowell, Jr.. Another, Thomas was a renowned Thoroughbred
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...
racehorse owner/breeder and trainer who won the 1902 Kentucky Derby
Kentucky Derby
The Kentucky Derby is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred horses, held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The race is one and a quarter mile at Churchill Downs. Colts and geldings carry...
.
She was educated in Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region...
and at Miss Porter's School
Miss Porter's School
Miss Porter's School, sometimes simply referred to as Porter's or Farmington, is a private college preparatory school for girls located in Farmington, Connecticut.- History :...
in Farmington, Connecticut, and at State College (now the University of Kentucky
University of Kentucky
The University of Kentucky, also known as UK, is a public co-educational university and is one of the state's two land-grant universities, located in Lexington, Kentucky...
) intermittently between 1890-1894. In 1898 Madeline McDowell married Desha Breckinridge
Desha Breckinridge
Desha Breckinridge was the editor and publisher of the Lexington Herald from 1897 to 1935. In 1898 he married Madeline McDowell, who became nationally known as Madeline McDowell Breckinridge. He was a brother of Sophonisba Breckinridge and the son of William Breckinridge, a member of Congress from...
, the editor of the Lexington Herald and a brother of the pioneering social worker Sophonisba Breckinridge
Sophonisba Breckinridge
Sophonisba Preston Breckinridge was an American activist, Progressive Era social reformer, social scientist and innovator in higher education.- Background :...
. The Breckinridges together used the newspaper's editorial pages to promote political and social causes of the Progressive Era
Progressive Era
The Progressive Era in the United States was a period of social activism and political reform that flourished from the 1890s to the 1920s. One main goal of the Progressive movement was purification of government, as Progressives tried to eliminate corruption by exposing and undercutting political...
, especially programs for the poor, child welfare and for women's rights
Women's rights
Women's rights are entitlements and freedoms claimed for women and girls of all ages in many societies.In some places these rights are institutionalized or supported by law, local custom, and behaviour, whereas in others they may be ignored or suppressed...
.
The Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution
Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution
The Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution prohibits any United States citizen to be denied the right to vote based on sex. It was ratified on August 18, 1920....
was passed shortly before she died. She was able to vote only once in her life, in the November United States presidential election, 1920
United States presidential election, 1920
The United States presidential election of 1920 was dominated by the aftermath of World War I and a hostile response to certain policies of Woodrow Wilson, the Democratic president. The wartime economic boom had collapsed. Politicians were arguing over peace treaties and the question of America's...
, before suffering a stroke and dying on Thanksgiving Day, at the age of 48.
Key Activities and Accomplishments
- 1908-1912 she chaired the Kentucky Federation of Women’s Clubs.
- Successfully lobbied for allowing women to vote in Kentucky school board elections.
- 1912-1915 and 1919-1920 she served as president of the Kentucky Equal Rights AssociationKentucky Equal Rights AssociationKentucky Equal Rights Association was the first permanent statewide women's rights organization in Kentucky. Founded in November 1888, the KERA voted in 1920 to transmute itself into the to continue its many and diverse progressive efforts on behalf of women's rights.Inspired by Lucy Stone during...
. - 1912 she helped found the Kentucky TuberculosisTuberculosisTuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
Commission and was the group’s vice president until 1916. - 1913-1915 she served as vice president of the National Woman Suffrage Association.
- She founded a social settlement at Proctor, KentuckyProctor, KentuckyProctor is an unincorporated community in Lee County, Kentucky, United States. It lies along Route 11 south of the city of Beattyville, the county seat of Lee County. Proctor is also located near the beginning point of the Kentucky River...
, similar to ChicagoChicagoChicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
’s Hull HouseHull HouseHull House is a settlement house in the United States that was co-founded in 1889 by Jane Addams and Ellen Gates Starr. Located in the Near West Side of , Hull House opened its doors to the recently arrived European immigrants. By 1911, Hull House had grown to 13 buildings. In 1912 the Hull...
, advocated to establish playgrounds and kindergartens, and spoke out against child laborChild laborChild labour refers to the employment of children at regular and sustained labour. This practice is considered exploitative by many international organizations and is illegal in many countries...
. - Founded the Lexington Civic League
- She was a vocal supporter of the newly formed League of NationsLeague of NationsThe League of Nations was an intergovernmental organization founded as a result of the Paris Peace Conference that ended the First World War. It was the first permanent international organization whose principal mission was to maintain world peace...
.
Family
(For more information see BreckinridgeBreckinridge
-People:Breckinridge family political dynasty* Breckinridge family* Aida de Acosta Breckinridge, in 1903 flew Santos Dumont's dirigible airship* Clifton R. Breckinridge, congressman from Kentucky, Minister to Russia, son of John C...
)
Madeline married Desha Breckinridge
Desha Breckinridge
Desha Breckinridge was the editor and publisher of the Lexington Herald from 1897 to 1935. In 1898 he married Madeline McDowell, who became nationally known as Madeline McDowell Breckinridge. He was a brother of Sophonisba Breckinridge and the son of William Breckinridge, a member of Congress from...
, who came from a notable American family. The members of the family include John C. Breckinridge
John C. Breckinridge
John Cabell Breckinridge was an American lawyer and politician. He served as a U.S. Representative and U.S. Senator from Kentucky and was the 14th Vice President of the United States , to date the youngest vice president in U.S...
and Bunny Breckinridge
Bunny Breckinridge
John Cabell "Bunny" Breckinridge was an American actor and drag queen, best known for his role as "The Ruler" in Ed Wood's film Plan 9 from Outer Space, his only film appearance.- Early life :...
. Madeline was also a cousin of Dr. Ephraim McDowell
Ephraim McDowell
Ephraim McDowell was an American physician. He was the first to successfully remove an ovarian tumor.-Biography:...
and American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
Union General Irvin McDowell
Irvin McDowell
Irvin McDowell was a career American army officer. He is best known for his defeat in the First Battle of Bull Run, the first large-scale battle of the American Civil War.-Early life:...
. Her cousin, Laura Clay
Laura Clay
Laura Clay , co-founder and first president of the Kentucky Equal Rights Association, was a leader of the American women’s suffrage movement...
, founded the Kentucky Equal Rights Association in 1912, of which Madeline later became president.
Writings
Breckinridge, Mrs. Desha. "Women and the schools" and "The relation of the public schools to Kentucky's commercial development," in School Betterment for Kentucky. Kentucky Federation of Women's Clubs. Harrodsburg, Ky.: The Democrat, 1908.Sources and External Links
- Breckinridge Family Papers, 1752-1965, Library of Congress, http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.mss/eadmss.ms997003
- Breckinridge, Sophonisba Preston. Madeline McDowell Breckinridge: A Leader in the New South. Chicago, Illinois: The University of Chicago Press, 1921. A Free e-Book.
- Fayette Equal Rights Association records, 1917-1920. University of Kentucky Libraries, Special Collections, Lexington, KentuckyLexington, KentuckyLexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region...
.
- Hay, Melba Porter. Madeline McDowell Breckinridge and the Battle for a New South. Lexington: University Press of Kentucky, 2009.
- Klotter, James C. The Breckinridges of Kentucky, 1760-1981. Lexington: University Press of Kentucky, 1986.
- Madeline McDowell Breckinridge Papers, 1867, 1888-1923, 52M3, Special Collections, University of Kentucky Libraries, Lexington, KentuckyLexington, KentuckyLexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region...
.
- Woman's Democratic Club papers, 1910-1945, 1910-1945, 1920-1932 (bulk dates), 1M50W29, Special Collections, University of Kentucky Libraries, Lexington, KentuckyLexington, KentuckyLexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region...
.
A biography: http://www.womeninkentucky.com/site/reform/m_breckinridge.html
Information on her childhood home: http://www.henryclay.org/