Cheraw chronicle. [volume] (Cheraw, S.C.) 1896-2005, 1916-11-30
The Bloon,er Period.

The present aggressive campaign 1or
the national emancipation Of women, IN
which they exact the franchise on an
equality footing with that was started
I'm 1S4S when Lucretia Mott, Martha
c. Wright, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and
Mary Ann McClintOck issued call in
the Seneca County New York; "Cou-
rier' for a Woman's Rights Convention
to be held at Seneca Falls. The gather
ing was somewhat local, but from those
present came declaration of sentimnts
fashioned after the Declaration Of In
dependence, and a series of resolutions
A hundrd men and women signed the
declaration.
To the newspapers Of that day the
proceedings were a source Of much a.
musements. Under such headings as
"The Reign of Petticoats," Boiling
Among the Ladies'" ETC., journal after
journal made fun OF the Amazons as
they termed them. But the movement
was not to be checked by ridicule.
Two years later, In 1850, some wo-
men attending an anti slavery meeting
in Rosto.i lai,I plans for r.''rna' w0
mems rights convention to meet In
now became Of yearly occurrence. one
of the largest gathrings that had been
held up to this time was called In ses-
sion in June, 1854, at Boston. The
crowds which came to this convention
were composed of anti-slavery leaders
male an d female, and their ardent fol-
lowers, temperance agitators, and so
coal reformers great and small.
Conspicuous among thse last were
the followers Of Amelia BloOmer. Moth
ing in the opinion of this element OF the
convention, was more absurd than Tor
women to clamor for their social, civil
and political rights while they contin-
ued wear long skirS and cOrsets. IL
woman was to take her place by the
side of man as his equal, If she were to
complete with him in tn professions. IN
the business world, in innumerable
trades and callngs, she must abandon
her foolish costume and adopt one bet
ter fitted to her NV sphre Of action.
Such d one was that worn by Mrs
Bloomer. consisting Of CATERS, loose
Turkish Trousers, q skirt that came
down to the knees, a short jacket ant
gypsy hat Of straw. Lucy Son. Su
san Il, Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stan
ton and n host of other women pat on
the bloomer costume and wore It IL
public and at conventions.
But this dress reform went further
and was adopted by women who seem
never to aase troubled themselves about
the wrongs of the coiered race or thost
of her sex. At I.well, Mass. iffatiyes
wore bleenlerS. and on the Fourth OF
July marched in the parade so att'red
when two females. clad IA the
strange garments appeared one .venin,
on Washington street, B9st0n. the rab
BILE Of jeering boys and men that tas!
were forced to seeek refuge In a car
riage. Others who attempted 10 wall
the streets Of Baltimore dress,.d "a Ia
Turk" had a sotlilar experience.
Some young women of Esthampton
ton, Mass, having appeared ip bloom
ers, the minister warned them that Il
they continued to wear such clothes he
would sever their connection with the
church. When the Hydropatists helc
a cold-water festival on the shores o.
Skaneateles Lake, two score womer
present wore bloomers and were ad
dressed by Mrs. Bioemer Mrs. Stan
ton, and others wearing the reform
dress.
At New York there was meeting
of friends of the "bicurated costume
in Hope Chapel. With the public the
craze soon ran its course. RidiculeC
by the press, jeered by tae crowd
frowned at by their own sex, the mass
of women who at first SO eagerly
donned the short skirt and trousers