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The Nineteenth Century Club

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20: 83:. The stated objectives of the club were "to promote the female intellect by encouraging a spirit of research in literary fields and provide an intellectual center for the women of Memphis." The club was immediately successful, with membership steadily rising and peaking at around 1,400 members in 1926. 160:
The club remains in existence. In 1926, the club acquired a mansion built in 1906 by Rowland Darnell, a great lumber magnate of Memphis, and remained there for over 20 years. The mansion was eventually sold as membership continued to decline over the years. A legal battle took place over ownership
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met for the first time in a southern city at its 20th annual meeting with the Nineteenth Century Club. Founding member Clara Conway made the opening remarks, stating that women "were impatient with incompleteness" and were eager to move away from leisure to become productive members of society.
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The activism promoted by the club was described as a very selfless and feminine brand of activism. Despite the many disclaimers, the movement did signal a "new sense of power and capacity among American women", particularly in the South. The club motto was "Influence is Responsibility", which
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In 1891, one of the four committees in the club was "Philanthropy and Reform", which attempted to influence Memphis officials. The members wanted to participate in the development of the city and inject women's "gentler spirit" and more "loving wisdom" into
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branch of the club established the Hamburg Public Library in an effort to enrich the community and improve education. At that time, the club had limited membership of 19 women, including several librarians and teachers. In 1901, the Hamburg Business
100:, members made many assurances that the goal was not radical political upheaval, cautioning against ambition and arguing that activism made was merely "housekeeping" that was extended to the "family" of the city community. 431: 47:. The Nineteenth Century Club adopted the idea that the community was an extended "household" that would benefit from the "gentler spirit" and "uplifting influence" of women, and shifted towards 790: 1624: 1228: 132:
Anti-Tuberculosis Society, and founded a new city hospital. They also played an important role in the West Tennessee State Normal School, which later came to be known as the
401: 64: 1555: 51:. The club primarily focused on the needs of women and children, addressing public problems such as sanitation, health, education, employment, and labor conditions. 1296: 1025: 600: 59:
The club was founded in May 1890 following an assembly of elite white women at the Gayoso Hotel in Memphis. The founding members included the women activists
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and historical preservation of the mansion, eventually resulting in a restoration and conversion into a restaurant.
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Successful campaigns secured a police matron at the city jail, established a female
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Daughters of the Improved Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks of the World
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took over management of the library and formed the Library Association. The
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Chicago and Northern District Association of Colored Women's Clubs
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Federation of Women's Clubs for Oklahoma and Indian Territories
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Bond, Beverly Greene; Freeman, Sarah Wilkerson (2015-07-01).
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Association of Southern Women for the Prevention of Lynching
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First National Conference of the Colored Women of America
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epitomized their feelings of accountability for society.
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Elite Women and the Reform Impulse in Memphis, 1875-1915
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Women's political advocacy groups in the United States
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General Federation of Women's Clubs of South Carolina
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Mississippi State Federation of Colored Women's Clubs
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California State Federation of Colored Women's Clubs
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chartered the library in 1902, and it remains open.
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While the activities of the club empowered 23:The Nineteenth Century Club, in the historic 1224:Oklahoma Federation of Colored Women's Clubs 276:"The Legacy of the Nineteenth Century Club" 212: 953:Colored Female Religious and Moral Society 356: 342: 1610:Organizations based in Memphis, Tennessee 1141:Empire State Federation of Women's Clubs 989:Ladies' Library Association of Kalamazoo 848:Iowa Federation of Colored Women's Clubs 387:American Association of University Women 109:Association for the Advancement of Women 18: 1021:Mississippi Federation of Women's Clubs 1597: 280:Buffalo and Erie County Public Library 244: 186: 958:New England Woman's Press Association 512:Women's Joint Congressional Committee 472:National Society of New England Women 457:National Association of Colored Women 337: 86: 16:Memphis, Tennessee-based women's club 890:Kentucky Federation of Women's Clubs 422:Daughters of the American Revolution 240: 238: 236: 182: 180: 178: 176: 174: 927:Maryland Woman Suffrage Association 522:Young Women's Christian Association 492:United Daughters of the Confederacy 437:General Federation of Women's Clubs 417:Daughters of the American Colonists 195:. The University of Tennessee Press 187:Wedell, Marsha (25 December 2009). 150:New York State Education Department 13: 1620:Women's clubs in the United States 1349:Texas Association of Women's Clubs 1344:Daughters of the Republic of Texas 922:Woman's Literary Club of Baltimore 502:Women's Christian Temperance Union 14: 1641: 1615:Organizations established in 1890 1369:Dallas Equal Suffrage Association 1364:Texas Federation of Women's Clubs 507:Women's National Republican Club 321: 273: 233: 171: 1605:1890 establishments in Tennessee 1359:Texas Equal Suffrage Association 1161:Equal Suffrage League (Brooklyn) 462:National Council of Jewish Women 806:Frederick Douglass Woman's Club 487:United States Daughters of 1812 219:. University of Georgia Press. 1354:Texas Equal Rights Association 538:Alabama's Colored Women's Club 293: 267: 206: 1: 1630:History of women in Tennessee 245:Wedell, Marsha (1991-01-01). 164: 155: 107:In 1892, the Congress of the 1166:Newswomen's Club of New York 641:Hollywood Women's Press Club 447:Ladies' Memorial Association 253:. 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Darnell House 392:American Woman's League 33:Nineteenth Century Club 948:College Club of Boston 874:Woman's Club of Topeka 801:Fortnightly of Chicago 452:League of Women Voters 28: 1580:List of women's clubs 1569:List of women's clubs 1250:Colored Women's Clubs 1146:Brooklyn Woman's Club 973:Saturday Morning Club 497:United Order of Tents 477:Phillis Wheatley Club 134:University of Memphis 22: 1323:Country Woman's Club 796:Chicago Woman's Club 744:Atlanta Woman's Club 616:College Women's Club 367:in the United States 73:Elizabeth Lyle Saxon 775:Daughters of Hawaii 61:Elise Massey Selden 606:Berkeley City Club 122:sanitary inspector 87:Political activism 45:Memphis, Tennessee 29: 1592: 1591: 1588: 1587: 1564: 1563: 1540: 1539: 1514: 1513: 1506:Women's City Club 1318:19th Century Club 1276:Cosmopolitan Club 1176:Women's City Club 1156:Cosmopolitan Club 1058:20th Century Club 661:Metropolitan Club 94:municipal affairs 1637: 1573: 1572: 1549: 1548: 1523: 1522: 968:Woman's Era Club 377: 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Retrieved 192: 159: 138: 119: 106: 102: 90: 77:Clara Conway 58: 49:civic reform 41:women's club 32: 30: 1545:Conventions 1394:San Antonio 1389:Lyceum Club 1151:Colony Club 1125:Silver City 1074:Kalmia Club 1014:Mississippi 631:Ebell of LA 570:Casa Grande 1599:Categories 1431:Washington 1379:Fort Worth 1120:Las Cruces 1110:Alamogordo 1103:New Mexico 1089:Rutherford 1079:Morristown 1067:New Jersey 1005:Saint Paul 853:Des Moines 692:Wilmington 594:California 380:Nationwide 310:2015-12-18 286:2016-01-04 199:2015-12-16 165:References 156:Modern day 146:Men's Club 1469:Wauwatosa 1462:Wisconsin 1311:Tennessee 1260:Town Club 1192:Charlotte 1115:Carrizozo 998:Minnesota 899:Louisiana 832:Vincennes 708:Bradenton 666:San Pedro 554:Anchorage 116:Campaigns 43:based in 1443:Longview 1438:Kirkland 1415:Virginia 1217:Oklahoma 1134:New York 1084:Red Bank 982:Michigan 915:Maryland 906:Era Club 883:Kentucky 784:Illinois 759:Tennille 754:Demorest 680:Delaware 646:La Jolla 575:Glendale 55:Creation 1478:Wyoming 1448:Olympia 1374:El Paso 1245:Ashland 1171:Sorosis 1035:Montana 943:Chilton 820:Indiana 732:Georgia 701:Florida 687:Milford 651:Lincoln 585:Willcox 563:Arizona 531:Alabama 141:Hamburg 124:at the 1485:Casper 1255:Dundee 1238:Oregon 1208:Dayton 1051:Nevada 862:Kansas 768:Hawaii 749:Dawson 621:Corona 547:Alaska 257:  223:  79:, and 1337:Texas 723:Miami 713:Davie 373:Clubs 1403:Utah 1201:Ohio 841:Iowa 580:Mesa 255:ISBN 221:ISBN 31:The 1601:: 303:. 278:. 235:^ 191:. 173:^ 136:. 75:, 71:, 67:, 63:, 357:e 350:t 343:v 313:. 289:. 263:. 229:. 202:. 27:.

Index


Rowland J. Darnell House
philanthropic
women's club
Memphis, Tennessee
civic reform
Elise Massey Selden
Elizabeth Fisher Johnson
Elizabeth Avery Meriwether
Elizabeth Lyle Saxon
Clara Conway
Lide Meriwether
municipal affairs
female influence in politics
Association for the Advancement of Women
sanitary inspector
Board of Health
Shelby County
University of Memphis
Hamburg
Men's Club
New York State Education Department





"Nineteenth Century Club | Entries | Tennessee Encyclopedia"
Tennessee Women: Their Lives and Times--Volume 2
ISBN

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