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Creator
Women's Peace Union
Call number
MssCol 3377
Physical description
3.25 linear feet (8 boxes)
Language
Materials in English
Preferred Citation

Women's Peace Union records, Manuscripts and Archives Division, The New York Public Library

Repository
Manuscripts and Archives Division
Access to materials
Request an in-person research appointment.

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.

Biographical/historical information

The Women's Peace Union (WPU), founded in 1921, was a national organization committed to personal refusal to support war and to promoting legislation outlawing war. In the aftermath of World War I, the Union was formed as a movement of unconditional resistance to war. Many of the original members of the WPU had been involved in pacifist activities during World War I. Frances Witherspoon, Tracy Dickinson Mygatt and Jessie Wallace Hughan, who were among the founding members, were also members of the Women's Peace Party. During WWI they had been active in aiding conscientious objectors.

The WPU was in favor of total independent disarmament by the United States. Their main program toward this aim in the years 1921 to 1941 was to promote a constitutional amendment, known as the Independent Disarmament Amendment, which would make war, preparation for war or appropriations for war illegal. In pursuit of this aim the WPU raised funds, spoke in support of the Amendment, enlisted the support of legislators, organized demonstrations, collected signatures and worked with other pacifist organizations including the War Resisters International and the Pennsylvania Committee for Total Disarmament.

The Independent Disarmament amendment was first introduced in the Senate by Lynn J. Frazier in 1926. In 1934 hearing on the amendment were held by the Subcommittee of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Statements of support were submitted by Devere Allen, Dr. Edmund Chaffee, Dr. Jessie W. Hughan, Annie E. Gray and Dr. Sidney Strong among others. The Amendment was introduced in the House by Vito Marcantonio in 1936.

The WPU had no officers and its planning and programs were carried out by a working committee. Its last year of operation was 1940.

Scope and arrangement

The records of the Women's Peace Union span the years 1921 to 1941 and include correspondence, minutes, reports, financial records, writings and ephemera.

The bulk of the correspondence dates from 1929 to 1940 and includes letters among working committee members regarding planning and strategy, fundraising appeals, news from other pacifist organizations and general correspondence. Most of the outgoing letters were written by Tracy Mygatt for the WPU. The correspondence also includes information on conferences and meetings attended by WPU members, notably Frieda L. Lazarus's letters from the League of Nations Disarmament Conference in 1932. Correspondents include: Devere Allen, Caroline Lexow Babcock, Elinor Byms, Vaughn Bachman Brockaw, Edmund Chaffee, Louise and William Floyd, Zona Gale, Jessie Wallace Hughan, Abraham Kaufman, Frieda L. Lazarus, Lola Maverick Lloyd, Tracy Dickinson Mygatt, Mary B. Orr, Sidney Strong and Mary Winsor.

Minutes are included for the first organizing conference in 1921. In later years working committee minutes are included for the years 1923 to 1932, 1936 and 1940 with varying degrees of completeness. Reports of Committee members document their activities on behalf of the WPU and also report on conferences which they have attended. Financial records for the years 1922 to 1939 include treasurer's reports, records of expenditures and records of contributions for some years.

Writings of WPU members and supporters include articles, addresses, speeches, fiction and poetry which reflect the pacifist position. Ephemera and unsorted papers include historical notes on the WPU, press releases, leaflets of the WPU and other peace organizations, membership lists, signed petitions and appeals (including those signed by American authors in 1939), 2 photographs and the minutes of the United Pacifist Committee for 1939.

Administrative information

Source of acquisition

1944, Received from Tracy D. Mygatt

Processing information

Accessioned by FP, 2/19/86

Related Material

12 1/2 feet of records of the Women's Peace Union are available at the Swarthmore College Peace Collection where the personal papers of Tracy Mygatt and Frances Witherspoon are also housed

Using the collection

Location

Manuscripts and Archives Division
Stephen A. Schwarzman Building
Fifth Avenue at 42nd Street, New York, NY 10018-2788
Brooke Russell Astor Reading Room, Third Floor, Room 328