History of the Suffrage Movement in the US – by Donna Schlachter – with Giveaway

Elizabeth Stanton and Susan B Anthony 1869

 

Smithsonian Magazine, April 2019

The movement to gain the right for women to vote began in the 1840s, at a time when women still had no right to own property, possess a bank account, sign for a loan, or even control her own wages. The notion of a woman acting outside her rightful place—the home—was foreign, although many worked alongside fathers, brothers, or husbands on farms, in fishing boats, in shops, and in many other businesses. The general consensus was that granting women the right to vote would only clutter the election process with twice the votes but still produce the same outcome, since the belief was that most women would vote as their husband or close male relative did. In fact, at one point, unmarried women were excluded from the discussion altogether as they were so marginalized that the notion of giving them a say in politics wasn’t even considered.

In 1848, the Seneca Falls Convention on women’s rights unanimously passed resolutions that favored a woman’s right to her own wages, to divorce an abusive husband, and to be represented in government. However, the notion that women should be able to vote, while the resolution passed, had many dissenters. How these attendees thought women might be represented in government without being able to vote apparently didn’t come up.

The movement continued gaining traction, but by the end of the Civil War, another obstacle emerged: racial division. White abolitionist men said that white suffragette women should wait their turn and allow the black man to be gain the vote. This happened in 1870, but fundamental differences in how to achieve the right for women constrained the movement for another forty years.

Police Protection for Suffrage Procession

 

Perhaps one of the most exciting events in suffrage history came in 1913, when young radicals held a parade down Washington DC’s Pennsylvania Avenue that attracted more than five thousand marchers, as well as bands, floats, and mounted brigades. They’d skillfully chosen the day before Woodrow Wilson’s inauguration, and attracted tens of thousands of spectators. However, what happened next was completely unplanned.

Lucy Barns on hunger strike (Smithsonian 4/2019)

 

The women picketed the White House by the hundreds, partly in response to slurs—and more—hurled at them by spectators. Police were called, and more than 100 women were arrested. When some went on a hunger strike, they were force-fed via a tube jammed into the nose. While they underwent a horrible ordeal, the event proved to be the publicity they needed to further the movement.

On June 10, 1919, Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin were there first states to ratify the amendment. With The Great War (World War 1) just a few months in the past, President Woodrow Wilson, recognizing the contribution women made to the war effort by performing jobs normally done by men, acknowledged that a country that would rely on women in wartime, yet deny them such a fundamental right, was foolish, to say the least.

In my recent release, Rollie’s Riddle: The Suffrage Spinsters, Book 10, Rollie, my heroine, is a member of the suffrage movement and the owner of a newspaper in Whispering Pines, Colorado, a small town west of Colorado Springs, in 1883. Her brother Paul owns the livery. A string of bank robberies in the area has everybody on alert. Lucas Bryant, a young attorney, is running for state senate in 1884, but figures he needs a wife if he’s to succeed. When Paul is arrested on suspicion of bank robbery, any notion Lucas had that Rollie might be his choice goes out the window. Desperate to free her brother, Rollie enlists Lucas’s help. However, he’s not certain where he stands on suffrage. Can God bring these two opposites together? Or will one of them have to give in to the other?

 

 

You can check out the book here: : https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BMW1MCQY and the rest of the Series: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B9YF8CC5





Giveaway: Leave a comment in response to this question: Do you think that granting women the right to vote has improved the election process? Please remember to cleverly disguise your email address so the ‘bots don’t get you. For example: Donna AT LiveByTheWord DOT com I will draw randomly and one winner will win an ebook of Rollie’s Riddle

About Donna:

A hybrid author, Donna writes squeaky clean historical and contemporary suspense. She has been published more than 60 times in books; is a member of several writers groups; facilitates a critique group; teaches writing classes; ghostwrites; edits; and judges in writing contests. She loves history and research, traveling extensively for both, and is an avid oil painter. She also coaches writers who struggle to get their first draft done. Learn more at www.donnaschlachter.com/Tapestry




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Resources:

https://www.crusadeforthevote.org/wilson

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/long-battle-womens-suffrage-180971637/

Flooding: Life on a Peninsula

By Tiffany Amber Stockton

Last month, we took a trip back to the Great Depression and life on Chincoteague Island, with a few little nuggets about my grandfather and how he and his family survived on a tiny little island. If you missed that post, you can read it here: https://www.hhhistory.com/2021/10/great-depression-island-life.html.

Ironically, my family and I have done a little bit of surviving ourselves this past month. Due to economic spikes and drastic inflation, we had to sell our home in Colorado and move to a more affordable state. So, I left one set of mountains and traded them for another. The Rocky Mountains and Pike's Peak for a cabin in the woods in the Cumberland Gap and the Appalachian Mountains just a little north of the Smokies. As you already know, I have family roots in Virginia, but I have some in Kentucky as well, and I wrote a Christmas story set in Gatlinburg, about 2 hours away.

We also downsized our population surroundings from 500,000 to 25,000 in a tri-county area. (grins) Now, I'm living in an area more like the Chincoteague Island folks with the small-town atmosphere and much slower pace. It is a definite welcome change. So many friends jokingly told me I'm moving "down to the holler." Well, this little nook is definitely tucked away, and like my Colorado home, protected from a lot of the elements like hurricanes or tornadoes.

Unfortunately, Chincoteague Island isn't protected from hurricanes. This month, we'll cover another occurrence which drastically affects life on the island -- flooding.

THE DELMARVA PENINSULA

For those who don't know, Delmarva is named for the 3 states which make up the land associated with the peninsula: DELaware, MARyland, and VirginiA.

A funny story to tell about my family. One year in my early teens, my mother's family held a reunion down on Chincoteague Island. At some point in a conversation, some family members asked me where I lived, and I answered Delaware. One asked me where that was. Being the somewhat passive aggressive and often sarcastic person that I can be, instead of answering, I asked for the name of the peninsula where they lived, and they answered Delmarva. I then asked why it's named that, and they responded it was the name of the electric company giving them power (which was true). Based on what I mentioned above, can you see my eyes rolling at this point? *grins*

I didn't see any other way to make my point without coming right out and asking what states make up the Delmarva Peninsula. So, I did. From some, I received blank looks, from others, I heard Virginia and Maryland for sure. This truly surprised me. Delaware is not only 1 of 3 states making up the peninsula, but it occupies 60% of the land area as well. For someone living on the peninsula to not know where Delaware is, well that's a sad testament of the lack of geographic education across the US.

So many overlook this tiny little state and its significance. And the same goes for the weather patterns which pass over this area. Quite often, hurricanes will take a path up the Eastern coastline, and when they approach the mid-Atlantic area, reports will address Virginia and New Jersey and New York but skip over Delaware and the Delmarva Peninsula. However, record-breaking flooding levels have been reported from this area following destructive hurricanes in history.

With the way the weather patterns run, hurricanes enter from the southeast and collide with fronts coming from the northwest which lead to circular rainfall that stagnates and becomes stationary over the peninsula. Historically speaking, these storms have affected things like ships avoiding the British blockade of the Chesapeake Bay during the Revolutionary War. Smugglers would travel to the mainland via the Chincoteague harbor, then unload their goods and move them further south toward more populated areas. During the late summer, many years would find a good bit of the lower peninsula under water, so transporting goods became a significant challenge, especially with the pathways resembling a marshland than dry ground.

On Chincoteague Island, flooding is a reality the residents face each and every year. I remember visiting more often in my younger years, and if we were there in the later summer, we were rolling up our pant legs and kicking off our shoes and socks to wade in the waters that could rise as much as hip-high. On particularly stormy days or weeks in days gone by, residents of the island kept little boats handy and used them to navigate the streets. Can you imagine that? Getting dressed and hopping in a boat to go to Sunday meeting?

Some might be enamored with the idea of Venice, Italy with its gondolas and waterways throughout the city, but I'm not sure I'd be too fond of living like that every day...or even dealing with that as part of my reality each year. Sure, there's a certain level of "adventure" attached to travel and getting around during the flooding, but as it's been shown more than once, flooding can also come with devastating effects leading to complete destruction of buildings and structures, and many deaths and injuries.

Because of this reality, a lot of the homes and buildings on Chincoteague are built several feet above ground level with a raised foundation and steps leading to the main floor from the ground. Much like beachfront properties along the coastline will raise the homes on pillars and stilt-like poles, following the destruction of homes on the island, rebuilds would modify the foundation to allow for flooding and help prevent future damage at the main floor level.

Having grown up in and around the Chesapeake region, I have seen my fair share of hurricanes, nor'easters, and torrential downpours from storms that lasted for days and sometimes weeks. The most recent visit I made to Chincoteague Island was for Pony Penning Day with a friend and fellow author...and we spent it with soaked shoes and muddy feet. Thankfully, the ponies are used to marshland living, and they take it all in stride. *grins*

Nevertheless, the pouring rains and the location of the peninsula lend to very wet seasons most of the time. While I spent most of this post talking about summer storms, there have also been times when high tides meet winter storms and you have snow on the ground mixed with flooding in the streets. Quite the contrast causing floating ice and frozen sheets of water on the ground!

NOW IT'S YOUR TURN:

* Have you ever been in the path of a hurricane, or had to evacuate as the result of the flooding and damage caused by one?

* Have you ever misjudged flooding while driving a car? What would you do if you encountered flooding while driving a horse and buggy? How does the threat of flooding change from the past compared to modern day?

* Would you still attend Pony Penning Day even in the midst of flooding or torrential downpours? Why or why not?

Leave answers to these questions or any comments on the post below. Next month, I'll do a themed post to wrap up the year and share some Christmas traditions on Chincoteague Island. Come back on the 9th of December to find out more.

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BIO

Tiffany Amber Stockton has been crafting and embellishing stories since childhood, when she was accused of having a very active imagination and cited with talking entirely too much. Today, she has honed those skills to become an award-winning, best-selling author and speaker who is also an advocate for literacy as an educational consultant with Usborne Books. She loves to share life-changing products and ideas with others to help improve their lives in a variety of ways.

She lives with her husband and fellow author, Stuart Vaughn Stockton, along with their two children, two dogs, and two cats in Kentucky. She has sold twenty-four (24) books so far and is represented by Tamela Murray of the Steve Laube Agency. You can find her on Facebook and GoodReads.

Hot Air Balloons in the 1700's

By Tiffany Amber Stockton

Last month, I shared about the existence of dinosaurs in Colorado. Hard to believe when you look at the land today, but there are fossilized footprints and tons of evidence all over the state. If you missed that post, you can read it here: https://www.hhhistory.com/2020/08/dinosaurs-in-colorado.html.

Today, let's move from what roamed about the ground to what soars high in the sky and entertains millions every year.

* * * * *

The History of Ballooning

This past weekend marked the 44th anniversary of a hot air balloon festival in Colorado Springs. Every year on Labor Day weekend, dozens of pilots gather in Memorial Park to launch their amazing balloons over the heads of thousands of attendees just as the sun is peeking through the morning clouds and shining on the "purple mountain majesty" mountains to the west. They also do a balloon "glow" at sunset where the balloons remain grounded but inflated and at set times, they all release the liquid propane into the burners and shoot the flames inside, making them "glow." It's quite a sight to see, and my family has made it a tradition to go every year.

This year was a bit different due to the restrictions of large gatherings, so instead of a single gathering at one park, the festival spread out all over the city. There were 15 different launch sites and balloons filled the air from every direction it seemed. Since they were too far away from my vantage point, I'm sharing some photos from previous years.

     

After hearing and answering a slew of questions from my children about hot air balloons and how they work, I decided to check out a little bit of history. What I discovered surprised me, since I learned people have been flying in balloons for over 200 years!! Who would have thought that could even be possible?

And Americans were actually late to ballooning...by almost 50 years! The first manned balloon ride was in Paris in 1783, almost half a century before the famed Charles Durant. A year later, in 1784, a group crossed the English Channel.

The first balloon flight in America was in 1793, observed by a rather substantial crowd which included President Washington. However, the aeronaut was Frenchman Jean Pierre Francois Blanchard. Therefore, when Durant took off in 1830, he was the first *American.* Ballooning still seemed new and exciting in the United States, and not many had succeeded. The New York Post wrote:

"The spectacle drew many people to the Battery, which was literally covered with an immense multitude of every age, sex, and color, whose faces were all turned upward. It is estimated that upwards of 20,000 people were collected to see a man risk his neck for their amusement and for their money."

Amazing isn't it, how many people will pay a lot of money to watch someone else attempt death-defying feats?

For this particular showcase, Durant wore a top hat and tails. That attire alone would draw a crowd, but it also lent a certain air of sophistication to his imminent journey and flight. Once in the air, he was aloft for about three hours, and he landed in a field in New Jersey, surprising the farmer named Johnson who owned the land. Three years later, in May 1833, Durant published a letter in the Journal of Commerce called "A New York Balloon Ascension." I just love the eloquence showcased here in his descriptive recounting of the experience:

"Here burst upon my sight one of the most imposing views I have ever beheld. Call it majestic, splendid, or sublime — invoke a Shakespeare's mind to describe, or a painter's to portray it — even thought must fail to conceive the rich downy softness and white fleecy accumulation of clouds piled in waves as far as the eye could reach, covering the earth, and closing to my sight the land, water, and everything, animate or inanimate, that I had so long and often viewed with delight. Above me nothing but a clear, cerulean expanse — the golden sun-beams spreading over the vast ocean of clouds, and extending through immensity of space where sight is bounded, and from whence even thought returns, unable to traverse the confines of the vast field beyond."

Doesn't that make you want to find someone who owns a hot air balloon and beg them for a ride? I know my children beg me every year to ride in one, and so far, I have been successful in deterring them. It's an expensive venture. Nearly $250 per person! I might be able to at least get them into the basket of a balloon next year so they can take a picture. Between now and then, we'll see if I can manage an actual flight. Personally, I'd like to take one first -- one that ends with a glass of wine to toast the successful adventure. *winks*

The commercial airlines, particularly since the security checks became intrusive, have since taken some of the romance out of flying, but there is still a definite fascination which exists in many hearts and minds about the idea of soaring through the sky, high above the ground below, free as a bird and floating on the wind. Something about freedom, wouldn't you agree?

* * * * *

NOW IT'S YOUR TURN:

* Have you ever taken a ride in a hot air balloon or stood inside the basket?

* Is there a hot air balloon festival near you, or have you attended one at any point in your life?

* If you could take a hot air balloon ride anywhere you wanted, where would you go?

* What did you like most about today's post?

---

BIO


Tiffany Amber Stockton has been crafting and embellishing stories since childhood, when she was accused of having a very active imagination and cited with talking entirely too much. Today, she has honed those childhood skills to become an award-winning and best-selling author and speaker who is also an advocate for literacy as an educational consultant with Usborne Books. She loves to share life-changing products and ideas with others to help better their lives.

She lives with her husband and fellow author, Stuart Vaughn Stockton, along with their two children and two dogs in Colorado. She has sold twenty (23) books so far and is represented by Tamela Hancock Murray of the Steve Laube Agency. You can find her on Facebook and GoodReads.

Garden of the Gods

By Tiffany Amber Stockton

Last month, I shined the spotlight on the 10 Harvey House stations in Colorado. If you missed that post, you can read it here: https://www.hhhistory.com/2020/04/on-atchinson-topeka-and-santa-fe.html.

This month, it's time for the Garden of the Gods to take a step into the limelight.

GARDEN of the GODS

view of the Park toward Pikes Peak

Would you believe me if I told you that Colorado used to be a tropical haven and an inland sea? No? It does sound rather outlandish, doesn't it? How in the world can a landlocked state with a semi-arid climate have been tropical or connected to the sea? The answer is geology.

horseback ride through the Park

During the time of the Great Flood and prior, the area that eventually became Colorado actually had dinosaurs who once grazed on the ferns and other tropical plants present in this area at the time. There are even some who have reported the rocks are evidence of a Saharan-scale desert that covered the region from Arizona to Montana a long time ago.

Sea serpents swam in shallow waters, and woolly mammoths trudged through deep snow in May. Of course, in some areas of this beautiful state, we still have that deep snow sometimes into June! The wonder and grandeur of the unique rock formations are the key to the secrets of ancient environments to those skilled and talented individuals who can understand the stories they tell.

Cathedral Spires - then

Cathedral Spires - now

I'm certainly not a geologist, but I've always been fascinated by the history of rocks. So, here's a brief summary. Molten rock cooled and created Pikes Peak granite and the Rocky Mountains. The mountains got worn down a bit by erosion. The tall orange sandstone rocks that are part of Garden of the Gods were once sand dunes! Today, the only sand dunes we have are a little further south at the Great Sand Dunes National Park. I'll cover that fascinating story in another post.

Balanced Rock - now

Balanced Rock - then

As is typical for mountain formation, the Pacific plate slammed into the North American plate. The mountains rose, and the overlying sedimentary rocks got bent upward. The softer rocks eroded, and valleys were created, leaving harder rocks standing as tall ridges in the Park. Siamese Twins, Kissing Camels, Cathedral Spires, The Three Graces, Balanced Rock...these are all found in the Park.

Back in 1859, a surveyor named Rufus Cable first saw the towering spires jutting over 300 feet into the air near Pikes Peak. He enthusiastically declared it was “a fit place for the gods to assemble!” From this excited outburst came the name Garden of the Gods. These distinct and unique formations attract millions of people annually who come to enjoy the beauty of the Park, and they have inspired thousands through various stories. I'm working on a few myself. (grins)

Gateway to the Rockies

NOW IT'S YOUR TURN:

* Have you ever visited Colorado or Colorado Springs? If so, when and why?

* What would YOUR reaction have been to seeing these rocks for the first time? If you HAVE seen them in person, what were your impressions?

* Do you have a gem like Garden of the Gods where YOU live? What is it?

* What did you like the most about today's post? What topics would you like to see covered in future posts?

Leave answers to these questions or any comments you have on the post below. Come back on the 9th of June for my next appearance.

---

BIO

Tiffany Amber Stockton has been crafting and embellishing stories since childhood, when she was accused of having a very active imagination and cited with talking entirely too much. Today, she has honed those childhood skills to become an award-winning and best-selling author and speaker who is also an advocate for literacy as an educational consultant with Usborne Books. She loves to share life-changing products and ideas with others to help better their lives.

She lives with her husband and fellow author, Stuart Vaughn Stockton, along with their two children and two dogs in Colorado. She has sold twenty (23) books so far and is represented by Tamela Hancock Murray of the Steve Laube Agency. You can find her on Facebook and GoodReads.

Grand Opening! Colorado Springs (take 2)

By Tiffany Amber Stockton

Last month, I have no idea how it happened, but the main blog content from January got posted with my February blog instead of the content I prepared. My sincere apologies for that. What should have been an introductory post about the history of Colorado Springs ended up being a repeat of entrepreneurs founding America. If you missed that post in January, you can read it again here (winks): https://www.hhhistory.com/2020/02/grand-opening-colorado-springs.html.

Now, let's get on with what *should* have been posted last month.

My very first book series highlighted pioneers in America and their refusal to give up, no matter the circumstances. The same can be said of anyone establishing a new town or city. Since I have been living in Colorado Springs for more than a decade, I've been itching to explore the rich history right here. So, here we go!

COLORADO SPRINGS: GRAND OPENING

The 14,115 foot mountain called Pike's Peak has long been the focal point of everyone who lives in what is now the Colorado Springs area. The oral tradition of the Ute people call it Tava – or "Sun Mountain" – for the way it collects and reflects the morning's rays. The Spanish, who settled in northern New Mexico and explored the area beginning in the 16th century, called it "Almagre" for its vibrant red coloring.

The first American official to encounter the mountain was Zebulon Montgomery Pike, a young army lieutenant, who was dispatched to survey the southwestern boundary of the newly acquired Louisiana Territory -- thanks to Lewis and Clark. When he first saw the mountain looming in the distance, Pike named it Grand Peak. Deep snow prevented him from reaching the summit on his first attempt, but in 1810, he published the account of his expedition and literally "put the mountain on the map." As a result, his name is forever attached to the peak.

The discovery of gold spurred the first permanent settlement in the region. In 1859, Colorado City was established at the lower end of the Ute Pass trail. The rugged and wild supply camps sold goods and equipment to eager miners on their way west. Old Colorado City is still a distinctive community on the west side of Colorado Springs. It is an historic district with its own personality, quirky shops, and unique restaurants. It survives as a living legacy of the region's frontier spirit, and every year that legacy is celebrated with the annual Territory Days during Memorial Day weekend.

The Colorado Springs that exists today sprang from the imagination of General William Jackson Palmer, a Civil War hero and railroad magnate. He established Colorado Springs on July 31, 1871. Palmer had a distinct plan right from the start, to use the area’s enticing scenery, nearby mineral springs, and other amenities to attract residents to a "resort" town. He laid out the broad streets, hauled in 10,000 trees to make the city green and lush, and built lavish, European-style buildings.

Unlike a lot of other "boom" towns that happened due to miners seeking gold, Colorado Springs actually attracted wealthy residents, capitalists, intellectuals, artists, writers, and inventors right from the start. It served as a destination for tens of thousands of health seekers hoping the community's abundant sunshine and fresh air would cure tuberculosis. After the 1891 discovery of gold in Cripple Creek, just to the west of Pikes Peak, even more wealth came to Colorado Springs. For a time, the city had more millionaires per capita than any other place in the U.S.

Today, entrepreneurs and visionaries are still adding intricate layers to the economy here. Colorado Springs is at the same time an art colony, college town, military installation, destination for the high-tech industry, and home to the U.S. Olympic Committee headquarters. Yet, at the heart of it all, you can still find remnants of Palmer's healthful, attractive, community with an extensive park system, trails galore, red sandstone spires, and that ever-present feature mountain.

As Matt Mayberry (Colorado Springs Pioneer Museum, 2008) wrote: "The Pikes Peak region is a cultural and geographic confluence. It's where the mountains meet the plains, where the Southwest joins the heartland, where ancient cultures converge with 21st century society, and where the past informs the future. For some, it's stirring enough to inspire poetry."

NOW IT'S YOUR TURN:

* What might be a reason YOU would have traveled west to uncharted territory?

* If you had been one of the first people to discover the natural hot springs in this region, what would you have done?

* Have you ever visited Colorado Springs or anywhere in Colorado? Where and when?

* What did you like the most about today's post? What topics would you like to see covered in future posts?

Leave answers to these questions or any comments you have on the post below. Come back on the 9th of April (my son's birthday) for my next appearance.

---

BIO

Tiffany Amber Stockton has been crafting and embellishing stories since childhood, when she was accused of having a very active imagination and cited with talking entirely too much. Today, she has honed those childhood skills to become an award-winning and best-selling author and speaker who is also an advocate for literacy as an educational consultant with Usborne Books. She loves to share life-changing products and ideas with others to help better their lives.

She lives with her husband and fellow author, Stuart Vaughn Stockton, along with their two children and two dogs in Colorado. She has sold twenty (21) books so far and is represented by Tamela Hancock Murray of the Steve Laube Agency. You can find her on Facebook and GoodReads.

Grand Opening: Colorado Springs!

By Tiffany Amber Stockton

Last month, I shared about America being partially founded by entrepreneurs and risk-takers. If you missed that post, you can read it here: https://www.hhhistory.com/2020/01/entrepreneurs-founded-america.html.

My very first book series highlighted some of those pioneers and their refusal to give up, no matter the circumstances. The same can be said of anyone establishing a new town or city. Since I have been living in Colorado Springs for more than a decade, I've been itching to explore the rich history right here. So, here we go!

COLORADO SPRINGS: GRAND OPENING

There are many who say America is becoming more and more geared toward the individual entrepreneur and less on the corporate world or company-dictated economy. Economists have predicted by the year 2025, more than 50% of Americans will own a "side gig" or be an entrepreneur of some sort...even if it's only part-time.

I honestly wouldn't mind this at all! Small businesses almost always come with a personal touch that is often overlooked, neglected, or completely missing with larger companies and "big box" stores. Think about your small towns that pretty much run America. What makes them so appealing? Why are they so often the subject of novels and movies? What made small towns thrive and in some cases cause them to become bigger towns or central cities?

The answer? Entrepreneurs.

Our nation was founded, quite literally, by entrepreneurs. In 1607 the Virginia Company sent three ships across the Atlantic and unloaded 109 passengers at what became Jamestown, Virginia. They had a goal in mind that didn't quite pan out to become successful. It was a joint-stock company, a relatively new invention that allowed people to invest in enterprises without running the risk of losing everything if the business did not succeed. By limiting liability, corporations greatly increased the number of people who could dare to become entrepreneurs by pooling their resources while avoiding the possibility of ruin.

Their attempt to establish American plantations introduced a rather new venture. Unfortunately, this venture also came with a rather steep learning curve, and the Virginia Company made almost every mistake that could be made as other industries developed and new ideas were introduced. Once John Rolfe introduced tobacco, it quickly became an export item and made Virginia rich. Other colonies followed suit, and that eventually led to cotton plantations as well.

However, plantations required supplies, wagon repairs, horses, medical attention, clothing for the workers, personal grooming, dry goods, legal services, and so much more. They couldn't often get or have all of that on their plantation, so they had to go into town for it. That's where the entrepreneurs were in abundance. And that's where the long-standing tradition of trading goods and services was at its best!

The smaller towns could be quite limited in the variety of their businesses. They would start with the basics of a blacksmith, apothecary, cobbler, mercantile, and a grain/feed shop. Some might also feature a candleshop, tailor, barber, doctor, lawyer, seamstress, library, and alehouse. The larger a town grew, the more diverse the businesses became. Whatever the need, there was a business that provided it. If the need existed and an existing business couldn't meet the need, someone would start a new one. If you couldn't afford to pay cash for goods or services, you offered your own goods or services in honest trade.

I would love to see America return to this in a greater manner. So much in business has lost the personal touch, the relationships, and the community feel. Who knows? Maybe with this increase in "side gigs," we'll see a little bit of the small business mentality growing again. I know I wouldn't mind!

NOW IT'S YOUR TURN:

* What might be a reason YOU would have traveled west to uncharted territory?

* If you had been one of the first people to discover the natural hot springs in this region, what would you have done?

* Have you ever visited Colorado Springs or anywhere in Colorado? Where and when?

* What did you like the most about today's post? What topics would you like to see covered in future posts?

Leave answers to these questions or any comments on the post below. Come back on the 9th of
March for my next appearance.

---

BIO

Tiffany Amber Stockton has been crafting and embellishing stories since childhood, when she was accused of having a very active imagination and cited with talking entirely too much. Today, she has honed those childhood skills to become an award-winning and best-selling author and speaker who is also an advocate for literacy as an educational consultant with Usborne Books. She loves to share life-changing products and ideas with others to help better their lives.

She lives with her husband and fellow author, Stuart Vaughn Stockton, along with their two children and two dogs in Colorado. She has sold twenty (21) books so far and is represented by Tamela Hancock Murray of the Steve Laube Agency. You can find her on Facebook and GoodReads.

HELEN HUNT JACKSON & HER FIGHT FOR NATIVE AMERICANS

BY MARY DAVIS

Warren's — the firm
[Public domain]

Helen Hunt Jackson was an American poet and writer who advocated for Native Americans.

Born Helen Marie Fiske on October 15, 1830 in Amherst, Massachusettes. Fiske’s mother passed away by the time Helen was fourteen and her father three years later. Her father had put away money for her education. Helen attended Ipswich Female Seminary and the Abbott Institute. One of her classmates was Emily Dickinson, and the two corresponded for the rest of their lives.

In 1852, Helen married a U.S. Army Captain named Edward Bissel Hunt. They had two sons. One died in infancy and the other at age nine. Her husband was killed by one of his own marine inventions in 1863.

Helen’s early works were under the pen name H.H. Her first successful poem, “Coronation”, appeared in The Atlantic in 1869, followed by several others.

At Seven Falls with my sisters.

In the winter of 1873-1874, she went to the resort at Seven Falls, Colorado Springs, Colorado to rest and seeking a cure for tuberculosis. While in Colorado Springs, she met and married William Sharpless Jackson, a wealthy banker and railroad executive.

In 1879, Helen Hunt Jackson heard a lecture by Chief Standing Bear in Boston, and her interests turned toward Native American issues. Standing Bear described the forcible removal of his people from Nebraska to Oklahoma where they suffered from poor supplies, harsh weather, and disease. She spoke out boldly against the atrocious treatment of the Indians, government misconduct, circulating petitions, raising a lot of money, and writing letters to newspapers.

H. H. Jackson [Public domain]

In 1881, Helen Hunt Jackson wrote A Century of Dishonor about the effects of the government’s treatment of the Indians, which condemned state and federal Indian policies. The book called for significant reform in government policy where Indians were concerned. She sent a copy to every member of congress.

Jackson went to Southern California to rest. While there, she learned about how the Mission Indians suffered under the Mexican government and then the U.S. government.

“I am going to write a novel, in which will be set forth some Indian experiences in a way to move people’s hearts. People will read a novel when they will not read serious books.” (Mathes, Indian Reform Letters, 298–9 )

“If I could write a story that would do for the Indian one-hundredth part what Uncle Tom’s Cabin did for the Negro, I would be thankful the rest of my life.” (Mathes, Indian Reform Letters, 258)

In 1884, she wrote the novel described above called Ramona.

Helen Hunt Jackson [Public domain]

The story was based on people Jackson had met and incidents she had encountered. The book was populate with a wide cross-section of the public. It is estimated to have been reprinted over 300 times and has never been out of print.

Helen Hunt Jackson died in San Francisco on August 12, 1885 from stomach cancer.

Helen Hunt Jackson's grave marker
above Seven Falls.

She wished to be buried above Seven Falls, and her husband arranged for her to be buried there at Inspiration Point overlooking Colorado Springs, Colorado.

On top of the world! 

View looking down on Colorado Springs 

When the journey up to her grave became too much for William Sharpless Jackson, he had her remains moved to Evergreen Cemetery in Colorado Springs.

Helen Hunt Jackson’s legacy lives on today in her writings.

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“Bygones” Texas, 1884
Drawn to the new orphan boy in town, Tilly Rockford soon became the unfortunate victim of a lot of Orion Dunbar’s mischievous deeds in school. Can Tilly figure out how to truly forgive the one who made her childhood unbearable? Can this deviant orphan-train boy turned man make up for the misdeeds of his youth and win Tilly’s heart before another man steals her away?

MARY DAVIS is a bestselling, award-winning novelist of over three dozen titles in both historical and contemporary themes. Her recent titles include; "Holly and Ivy" in A Bouquet of Brides Collection, The PRODIGAL DAUGHTERS Series, The Widow’s Plight, “Zola’s Cross-Country Adventure” in The MISSAdventure Brides Collection, The Daughter's Predicament, and "Bygones" in Thimbles and Threads. She’s an ACFW member and critique groups. Mary lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband of thirty-four years and two cats. She has three adult children and two adorable grandchildren. Find her online:

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