Ernestine L. Rose And US Women’s Suffrage Movement(1848-1869)

During the period of late 1840 s,the Seneca Falls Convention was a symbol of the first wave of US Women’s Rights Movement.Up to now,nearly all research of US Women’s Suffrage Movement has stressed the importance of female native leaders but neglected the contributions of a Polish female immigrant leader——Ernestine L.Rose.As a radical,the enlightenment thoughts had profound and lasting effects on her.Before she arrived in America,she had been traveled around many European countries,such as Poland,German,Holland,France,Great Britain and so on.In Britain,she met Robert Owen,who was a British social reformer and popular with Owenism across the Atlantic.She absorbed into Owenism and became one of his faithful followers.She came into being liberalism feminist thought which was combined the enlightenment thoughts with Owenism.Rose came to America not only was attracted with freedom but wanted to spread Owenism since 1836.She took part in a variety of social reforms,but mainly focused on the women’s rights movement.Her liberalism feminist thought had important impacts on the US Women’s Suffrage Movement before the Civil War.Thanks to her rich transnational experience and mastery of various foreign languages,Rose has an international vision beyond the reach of her female colleagues.Through personnel communication and correspondence,the US Women’s Suffrage Movement formed a tight transatlantic network of feminists with Rose as an intercultural intermediary.Feminists whether in Europe or the United States of America supported and encouraged each other,once formed a spiritual "transatlantic sister community".The US Women’s Suffrage Movement before the Civil War thus became an important part of the International Women’s Rights Movement.However,the Nativist Movement which flourished in the mid-nineteenth century spread within the US Women’s Suffrage Movement.Rose was gradually marginalized,she chose to return to Europe to spend her last days after becoming American citizen.Rose continued to communicate with colleagues across the Atlantic through letters and newspapers.Meanwhile the US Women’s Suffrage Movement also changed from an important part of International Women’s Rights Movement to a national social reform.Given Rose’s relationship with the US Women’s Suffrage Movement is difficult to interpret effectively with national historical narrative,it is necessary to supplement transnational perspective.From a transatlantic perspective,take Rose as a case to re-examine the US Women’s Suffrage Movement and its network of female social reformers.