Belva Lockwood
Jill Norgren, Professor Emerita of Government at John Jay College, has written an engrossing and insightful book about Belva Lockwood, a woman who, through tenacity, drive and self worth, accomplished more in the 19th century than many modern women accomplish. Because Lockwood was known to few and most of her personal papers were destroyed after her death, Norgren has done an exemplary job of illuminating the life of this varied and accomplished woman.
Belva?s aspirations took her to the women?s rights and international peace movements. Her ardent support of suffrage matters led her to petition Congress on behalf of these causes, and by 1870 she successfully attained passage of a bill providing equal pay for female civil service employees. In 1874, foreseeing the possibility of arguing a case before the U.S. Supreme Court and the U.S. Court of Claims, Belva petitioned each to be admitted to their bar. Belva was met with roadblocks at every turn, but she refused to relinquish the fight. In 1879, after five years of battling with the Courts and Congress, Belva became the first woman allowed to practice before the United States Supreme Court.
In 1884, the Equal Rights Party, recognizing Belva?s enthusiastic support of the women?s rights movement, nominated her as its presidential candidate. In the end, Belva received more than 4000 votes. In 1888, nearing sixty, Belva was again nominated as the presidential candidate for the Equal Rights Party. Due to Belva?s lackluster campaigning and a woman running for the presidency no longer a newsworthy novelty, ?no votes for her appear to have been recorded? (p. 167) in this election.
The rest of Belva?s life was spent as an activist for minority rights and international peace. She worked assiduously for and wrote and lectured about world peace. Belva also continued the fight for voting rights by writing the women?s suffrage clauses in the Arizona, New Mexico, and Oklahoma state bills. In addition, she worked tirelessly in securing passage of a property rights law for Washington, D.C. women. Belva died in 1917 at the age of eighty-six. She outlived two husbands, two daughters and many of her contemporaries. To the end Belva remained a force to be reckoned with, a staunch and vocal advocate of women?s rights and a leader in the movement for world peace.
