Matilda Joslyn Gage

Matilda Joslyn Gage, born on March twenty-fourth, eighteen twenty-six, was a prominent American writer and activist whose legacy is deeply intertwined with the women's suffrage movement in the United States. She was not only a fierce advocate for women's rights but also campaigned for the rights of Native Americans, abolitionism, and the principles of freethought. Gage is notably recognized for the 'Matilda effect,' a term that highlights the tendency to overlook women's contributions to scientific innovation.

Her journey in activism began early, as she became the youngest speaker at the National Women's Rights Convention in Syracuse, New York, in eighteen fifty-two. In eighteen sixty-nine, she co-founded the National Woman's Suffrage Association alongside notable figures such as Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton. Gage played a pivotal role in the suffrage movement, contributing to the first three volumes of 'History of Woman Suffrage' published between eighteen eighty-one and eighteen eighty-seven.

In addition to her collaborative efforts, Gage was a prolific writer, authoring significant works such as 'Woman's Rights Catechism' in eighteen sixty-eight, 'Woman as Inventor' in eighteen seventy, and 'Woman, Church and State' in eighteen ninety-three. Her editorial work included publishing and editing the 'National Citizen' from eighteen seventy-eight to eighteen eighty-one, a paper dedicated to advancing women's rights.

Despite her long-standing association with the National Woman Suffrage Association, Gage's increasingly radical views on suffrage and feminism led her to establish the Woman's National Liberal Union in eighteen ninety. This organization aimed to assert women's natural right to self-governance, highlight the reasons for the delay in recognizing women's demands, and advocate for civil and religious liberties. Gage served as the president of this union until her passing in Chicago in eighteen ninety-eight, leaving behind a powerful legacy of advocacy and reform.