Belle Case La Follette: Ballots and Bloomers

[lively string music] [lively piano music] – Narrator: Meet Belle Case.

No!

Nope.

Uh-uh.

Women can’t vote.

Belle was born in 1859.

Back then, most kids didn’t go to school past the age of 12.

And the girls would go back to the family farm to learn to cook, clean, and sew.

Lucky for Belle, her family believed that education was important.

Belle was such a great student that at the age of 16, she was able to go to college!

Belle was a top student in college, too.

She paid attention and she learned a lot.

But she wasn’t afraid to form her own opinions.

[scribbling] Belle wasn’t the only one paying attention.

Bob was funny, Belle was serious.

Belle could write, Bob could speak.

Bob loved the spotlight.

Belle preferred to work backstage.

But they believed in the same things.

After graduation, Belle married Bob La Follette in 1881.

Bob called Belle the “brainiest member of the family.”

He began his career as a lawyer and soon, Belle decided to get her own law degree.

Together, they started La Follette’s Magazine .

Belle wrote about women’s rights, exercise, and women’s clothing.

Belle dressed how she wanted and encouraged other women to do the same.

When Bob decided to run for office, Belle became his campaign manager.

Bob won a lot of elections, first as a United States Congressman, then Governor of Wisconsin, and finally, a United States Senator.

Belle helped Bob get elected, but couldn’t even vote for him.

The fact that women couldn’t vote really bothered Belle.

Now it was her turn to give the speeches.

She hit the road for women’s rights.

– As President Lincoln once said, “This Nation shall have a new birth of freedom “and government of the people “by the people, for the people shall not perish from the Earth.”

Are not women people?

[cheers] – Finally, in 1920, the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified.

But there was even more left to do.

Belle spent the rest of her life working for a world of peace.

She believed that women would vote to create a more peaceful world for everyone.

Belle dedicated her life to changing the world for the better: world peace, the right to vote, equal rights, and… pants.

[airplane motor running]