The Women's Peace Union (WPU), founded in 1921, was a national organization committed to personal refusal to support war and to promote legislation outlawing war. The WPU was in favor of total independent disarmament by the U.S. and its main...
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The Women's Peace Union (WPU), founded in 1921, was a national organization committed to personal refusal to support war and to promote legislation outlawing war. The WPU was in favor of total independent disarmament by the U.S. and its main program was the passage of a constitutional amendment, known as the Independent Disarmament Amendment, which would make war, preparation for war or appropriations for war illegal. The WPU ceased operations in 1940. Collection consists of correspondence, minutes, reports, financial records, writings, and ephemera of the Women's Peace Union. Bulk of the correspondence dates from 1929 to 1940 and includes letters among committee members regarding planning and strategy, fundraising, news from other pacifist organizations, and conferences and meetings. Minutes cover some of the years from 1921 to 1940 and document activities of the members. Financial records, 1922-1939, contain treasurers' reports and records of expenditures and contributions. Writings of WPU members and supporters include articles, addresses, speeches, fiction, and poetry which reflect the pacifist position. Also, printed materials, signed petitions and appeals, photographs, and minutes of the United Pacifist Committee for 1939.
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