Milholland, Inez, 1886-1916

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Inez Milholland Boissevain (August 6, 1886 – November 25, 1916) was a suffragist, labor lawyer, socialist, World War I correspondent, and public speaker who greatly influenced the women's movement in America. She was active in the National Woman's Party and a key participant in the 1913 Woman Suffrage Procession.

Born to a wealthy family in Brooklyn, New York, Milholland grew up in New York City and London. While in England, she met the militant suffragist Emmeline Pankhurst and became a political radical. After graduating from Vassar in 1909, Milholland started working as a suffrage orator in New York City. She also advocated for women’s labor rights. She was arrested picketing alongside female shirtwaist and laundry workers during strikes in 1909 and 1910. She also used her resources as a member of an upper-class family to pay bail for other strikers and organize fundraisers. After being rejected from several law schools because she was a woman, Milholland earned a law degree from New York University in 1912.

On March 3, 1913, Milholland achieved wide fame when she served as the herald of the Woman Suffrage Procession in Washington, D.C. Astride a horse named “Grey Dawn” and dramatically dressed in white to represent the “New Woman” of the twentieth century, she led thousands of women down Pennsylvania Avenue in the first organized march on Washington. Her work for women’s rights continued after the parade. She gave numerous suffrage speeches in the United States and England. She also campaigned for pacifism as World War I brewed in Europe.

During an Atlantic Ocean crossing to England in 1913, Milholland met a Dutch coffee importer named Eugen Jan Boissevain. She proposed to him while they were still aboard the ship. They were married shortly after they landed. Boissevain supported and encouraged his wife’s work.

Over the next few years Milholland began to experience poor health from pernicious anemia. She refused to stop her activism. In 1916, she started a suffrage tour of the Western United States. On October 22, she collapsed while giving a speech in Los Angeles. Audience members reported that the last words she said before collapsing were addressed to Woodrow Wilson: “Mr. President, how long must women wait for liberty?” Despite repeated blood transfusions, she died at Los Angeles' Good Samaritan Hospital on November 25.

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
referencedIn Papers of Alice Paul, 1785-1985 (inclusive), 1805-1985 (bulk) Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
referencedIn Gruening, Dorothy Smith. [Recollections] [sound recording]. Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
creatorOf Papers, 1906-1916 Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
referencedIn Martin, Anne, 1875-1951. Portraits of women suffragists from the Anne Henrietta Martin papers [graphic]. Bancroft Library
referencedIn Records of the U.S. Information Agency. 1900 - 2003. Master File Photographs of U.S. and Foreign Personalities, World Events, and American Economic, Social, and Cultural Life National Archives at College Park
creatorOf Edna St. Vincent Millay Papers, 1832-1992, (bulk 1900-1950) Library of Congress. Manuscript Division
referencedIn Papers of Doris Stevens, 1884-1983 (inclusive), 1920-1960 (bulk) Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
referencedIn Papers, 1785, 1805-1985 Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
referencedIn Records of the National Park Service, 1785 - 2006. National Register of Historic Places and National Historic Landmarks Program Records, 2013 - 2017 National Archives Library, National Archives Records Administration
referencedIn Papers of Mary Ware Dennett Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
creatorOf Milholland, Inez, 1886-1916. Papers, 1906-1916 (inclusive). Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
referencedIn Edna St. Vincent Millay Papers, 1832-1992, (bulk 1900-1950) Library of Congress. Manuscript Division
referencedIn Papers, 1879-1926. New York State Historical Documents Inventory
referencedIn Records of the Office of War Information, 1926 - 1951. Photographs Used in Publications, 1943 - 1945 National Archives Library, National Archives Records Administration
referencedIn Butler, Jessee H. Suffragists. California State University, Long Beach
Role Title Holding Repository
referencedIn Statement of the District of Columbia Association Opposed to Woman Suffrage Center for Legislative Archives
Relation Name
associatedWith ALICE PAUL, 1885-1977 person
associatedWith Belmont, Alva Erskine (Smith) Vanderbilt, 1853-1933 person
associatedWith Belmont, Alva Erskine Smith Vanderbilt, 1853-1933. person
associatedWith Berenson, Mary person
associatedWith Berenson, Mary, 1864-1945. person
associatedWith Blatch, Harriot Stanton, 1856-1940 person
associatedWith Boissevain, Eugen Jan person
spouseOf Boissevain, Eugen Jan. person
memberOf Boissevain family family
associatedWith Burns, Lucy, 1879-1966 person
associatedWith Cleghorn, Sarah Norcliffe, 1876-1959 person
associatedWith Cleghorn, Sarah Norcliffe, 1876-1959. person
associatedWith Columbia University. corporateBody
correspondedWith Doris Stevens person
associatedWith Eastman, Crystal, 1881-1928 person
associatedWith Eastman, Crystal, 1881-1928. person
associatedWith Eastman, Max, 1883-1969 person
associatedWith Eastman, Max, 1883-1969. person
memberOf Fabian Society (Great Britain) corporateBody
associatedWith Ford, Henry, 1863-1947 person
associatedWith Fox, John, 1863-1919 person
associatedWith Gruening, Dorothy Smith. person
correspondedWith Irving E. Robertson person
correspondedWith John Black person
associatedWith Martin, Anne, 1875-1951. person
associatedWith MARY (WARE) DENNETT person
memberOf Milholland family. family
childOf Milholland, Jean. person
childOf Milholland, John E., 1860-1925 person
sibling of Milholland, Vida person
sibling of Milholland, Vida person
associatedWith Millay, Edna St. Vincent, 1892-1950 person
associatedWith Millay, Edna St. Vincent, 1892-1950. person
memberOf National American Woman Suffrage Association corporateBody
memberOf National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. corporateBody
memberOf National Child Labor Committee (U.S.) corporateBody
memberOf National Woman's Party corporateBody
employeeOf New York Tribune corporateBody
alumnusOrAlumnaOf New York university. School of law corporateBody
associatedWith Pankhurst, Emmeline, 1858-1929 person
associatedWith Paul, Alice, 1885-1977. person
associatedWith Shaw, Anna Howard, 1847-1919 person
associatedWith Shaw, Anna Howard, 1847-1919. person
associatedWith Sinclair, Upton, 1878-1968. person
associatedWith Sinclair, Upton Beall, 1878-1968 person
associatedWith Stielow, Charles Frederick person
associatedWith Stielow, Charles Frederick. person
alumnusOrAlumnaOf Vassar College. corporateBody
memberOf Women's Political Union. corporateBody
memberOf Women's Trade Union League corporateBody
Place Name Admin Code Country
Los Angeles CA US
London ENG GB
Brooklyn NY US
Lewis NY US
Subject
Capital punishment
Citizenship
Friendship
Marriage
Prisoners
Socialists
Women
Women social reformers
Occupation
Activist
Journalists
Lawyers
Social Activist
Socialists
Suffragists
Activity

Person

Birth 1886-08-06

Death 1916-11-25

Female

Dutch,

Americans

English,

German

Information

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