Amelia Jenks Bloomer American Activist

Amelia Jenks Bloomer (May 27, 1818 - December 30, 1894) was an American women's rights and temperance advocate. Even though she did not create the... more

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Amelia Jenks Bloomer American Activist

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Photo Researchers

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Amelia Jenks Bloomer (May 27, 1818 - December 30, 1894) was an American women's rights and temperance advocate. Even though she did not create the women's clothing reform style known as bloomers, her name became associated with it because of her early and strong advocacy. The costume was called the American Dress or Reform Costume by the women's activists that wore it. Most of the women who wore the costume were deeply involved in dress reform, abolition, temperance and the women's rights movement. Bloomer edited the first newspaper for women, The Lily. It was issued from 1849 until 1853. The newspaper began as a temperance journal, but came under the influence of temperance activist and suffragette Elizabeth Cady Stanton who contributed articles on the broader issues of women's rights. Bloomer remained a suffrage pioneer and writer throughout her life, writing for a wide array of periodicals. She led suffrage campaigns in Nebraska and Iowa, and served as president of the Iowa Woman Suffrage Association from 1871 until 1873. She died in 1894 at the age of 76. Originally captioned A sketch of Mrs. Bloomer in the costume she attempted to make the fashion seventy-seven years ago.

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June 25th, 2014