“In 1916 Alice Burke and Nell Richardson drove around the country for suffrage. Encountering bad weather, rough roads, car issues, and bullets, they drove their Saxon roadster from town to town, telling the population of this country why women deserved the right to vote. In their drive for the cause, they covered 10,700 miles in 6 months becoming the first two women to drive across the country and back. They did the tour not for the glory of the drive but because they believed in the message. Recently Alice and Nell’s tour inspired a similar tour focused on signing the Equal Rights Amendment into the Constitution. If these women were brave enough to put themselves out there for a cause they believed in so should those who believe that all people are created equal. To learn more about Alice and Nell’s drive, read “Driving the Vote for Women - An American Journey for Suffrage.””
My husband bought a Saxon in 2009 and was told the story of Alice and Nell. My research led to a magazine article, which in turn became part of a museum show. A publisher walked into the museum and contacted me about writing a book. Two years later, a feminist/activist walked into the museum, bought the book and proposed a nationwide tour for the ERA. The enthusiasm I have gotten from telling the story has only increased my excitement about a monument to the brave women who fought for suffrage.
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