Whoa Nellie – The Mock Parliament

Sources

The Canadian Encyclopedia – This is a good starting point to read about individual suffragists.

Catherine Lyle Cleverdon – The Women Suffrage Movement in Canada, 1974.

CBC Archives – Nellie McClung’s ‘Mock Parliament,’ 1974.

Cecily Devereux – Growing a Race: Nellie L. McClung and the Fiction of Eugenic Feminism, 2006.

Cecily Hamilton – How the Vote Was Won, 1909.

Manitoba Government – Summary of Provincial and Federal Voting Eligibility in Manitoba

Manitoba Historical Society/Harry Gutkin and Mildred Gutkin – “Give Us Our Due!” How Manitoba Women Won the Vote, 1996

Nellie McClung – Purple Springs, 1922.

Nellie McClung – The Stream Runs Fast, 1945.

The Winnipeg Free Press Archives

The Winnipeg Tribune Archives

In 1914, Nellie McClung and a delegation of her fellow suffragettes went to the provincial legislature to be heard on the topic of women voting. While they presented their best arguments in favour of suffrage, McClung found herself half-hoping that Premier Roblin would not be swayed. If he somehow changed his mind, after all, it would make her biting impression of him the very next night somewhat awkward.

In this episode we talk about the Manitoba suffrage movement’s most famous piece of campaigning: the mock parliament presented at the Walker Theatre, a role-reversal in which women debated whether men ought to vote. We also talk about the problematic politics of Nellie McClung. (Spoiler: Alex has VERY mixed feelings.)

Listen to the full episode :