View source for Helen M. Todd

{{Infobox person
| name          = Helen MacGrgeor Todd
| image         = Helen_M._Todd_(1912).png
| alt           = <!-- descriptive text for use by speech synthesis (text-to-speech) software -->
| caption       =
| birth_name    = <!-- only use if different from name -->
| birth_date    ={{birth date|1870|04|1}}
| birth_place   =
| death_date    = {{death date and age|1953|08|15|1870|04|1}}
| death_place   =
| nationality   = <!-- use only when necessary per [[WP:INFONAT]] -->
| other_names   =
| occupation    = Suffragist
| years_active  =
| known_for     =
| notable_works =
}}
'''Helen MacGrgeor Todd''' (April 1, 1870 – August 15, 1953) was an American [[Women's suffrage|suffragist]] and [[Labor rights|worker's rights]] activist. Todd started her career as an educator and later became a [[factory inspector]]. She wrote about [[Child labour|child laborers]] in factories and became concerned with working women's lack of voting rights. Todd campaigned for women's suffrage across the [[United States]] and was an envoy on the [[Suffrage Special]]. After women won the right to vote, she continued to advocate for [[Immigration|immigrants]], workers and women.
== Biography ==
Early in Todd's career, she worked as a teacher in [[Chicago]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/18416273/helen_todd_suffragist/|title=Noted Woman Suffragist Coming to Flagstaff|date=1916-09-29|work=The Coconino Sun|access-date=2020-01-29|pages=3|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> She became involved with [[Hull House]] and went into [[social work]].<ref name=":0" /> Eventually, she became an Illinois state [[factory inspector]].<ref name=":0" /> During her time as an inspector, she studied [[Child labour|child laborers]] and their attitudes about working and education.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Zjecvt_iWZgC&q=%22helen%20m%20todd%22&pg=PA6|title=The Struggle for the American Curriculum, 1893-1958|last=Kliebard|first=Herbert M.|publisher=RoutledgeFalmer|year=2004|isbn=978-0-415-94890-6|location=New York|pages=6|language=en}}</ref> She interviewed 800 children who worked in factories and published her findings in the April 1913 edition of ''[[McClure's|McClure's Magazine]]''.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Todd|first=Helen M.|date=April 1913|title=Why Children Work|url=https://hdl.handle.net/2027/coo.31924065818423?urlappend=%3Bseq=877|journal=McClure's Magazine|volume=40|pages=69–79|hdl=2027/coo.31924065818423?urlappend=%3Bseq=877|via=Hathi Trust}}</ref> She was also concerned about women workers and the fact that they had no power because they could not vote.<ref name=":0" /> This led to Todd's interest in the [[Women's suffrage|woman's suffrage]] movement.<ref name=":0" />
[[File:Rosalie-jones-helen-todd-mrs-gordon-norrie-ag-hays-37f404(1).jpg|alt=Rosalie Jones, Helen Todd, Mrs. Gordon Norrie and A.G. Hays on an auto tour|left|thumb|Rosalie Jones, Helen Todd, Mrs. Gordon Norrie and A.G. Hays on an auto tour]]
In 1910, she took part in an automobile tour to support women's suffrage where she and others spoke to factory workers.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/42995860/chicago_tribune/|title=Grafters Scored by Suffragists|date=1910-06-28|work=Chicago Tribune|access-date=2020-01-29|pages=3|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> Around 1911, she helped popularize the [[Labour movement|labor movement]] slogan, "[[Bread and Roses|bread and roses]]."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.barrypopik.com/index.php/new_york_city/entry/we_want_bread_but_we_want_roses_too|title="We want bread, but we want roses, too" (Bread and Roses strike)|last=Popik|first=Barry|date=28 March 2014|website=Barry Popik|language=en|access-date=2020-01-29}}</ref> Also in 1911, she went to [[San Francisco]] to speak on the topic of suffrage and working women and children.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/42917665/the_san_francisco_examiner/|title=Women Battle to Last Moment Meeting To-Day for Business Men|date=1911-10-09|work=The San Francisco Examiner|access-date=2020-01-29|pages=1|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> Women in San Francisco asked her to stay on to help organize and support the effort to encourage women to vote in [[California]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=SFC19111113&dliv=userclipping&cliparea=1.5,2216,1048,1880,3856&factor=8&e=-------en--20--1--txt-txIN--------1|title=Civic League of Women to Conserve Life|date=13 November 1911|work=San Francisco Call|access-date=30 January 2020}}</ref> Todd asked women in California to use their right to vote in order to help make life better for workers, especially women workers.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://archives.stanforddaily.com/1912/04/22?page=4&section=MODSMD_ARTICLE25#article|title=Miss Todd of Chicago Urges All Women to Vote|date=22 April 1912|work=The Daily Palo Alto|access-date=30 January 2020|via=The Stanford Daily Archives}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/43108146/the_sacramento_bee/|title=Helen M. Todd, Ex-Factory Inspector of Illinois to Speak Here|date=1912-03-02|work=The Sacramento Bee|access-date=2020-01-29|pages=4|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref>
Todd went on to help in other states to win women's suffrage, but eventually came to feel that an amendment for national women's suffrage was critical.<ref name=":0" /> In 1913, she testified in front of the [[United States House of Representatives|House of Representatives]] on women's suffrage.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=F7VTAAAAIAAJ&q=%22helen%20todd%22%20congressional&pg=PA197|title=Congressional Serial Set|publisher=U.S. Government Printing Office|year=1914|pages=197–199|language=en}}</ref> She spoke with men in New York, urging them to support women's right to vote in 1915.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/43121296/press_and_sunbulletin/|title=She's After Men Now; Their Votes to Count|date=1915-02-22|work=Press and Sun-Bulletin|access-date=2020-01-30|pages=14|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> In 1916 she was an envoy for the state of [[New York (state)|New York]] on the [[Suffrage Special]], which toured the United States encouraging support for national women's suffrage.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/42621114/the_wichita_daily_eagle/|title=Suffrage Special Will Stop|date=1916-04-04|work=The Wichita Daily Eagle|access-date=2020-01-29|pages=9|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> When the [[Silent Sentinels]] were arrested and mistreated in prison, Todd worked to look into the abuses they faced.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=https://feminist.org/blog/index.php/2014/11/17/today-in-herstory-public-support-for-silent-sentinel-suffragists-is-on-the-rise/|title=Today in Herstory: Public Support for "Silent Sentinels" On the Rise|last=Dismore|first=David|date=17 November 2014|website=Feminist Newswire|language=en-US|access-date=2020-01-29}}</ref> She represented the Committee of 1,000 Women who urged their release.<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/43253307/the_topeka_daily_capital/|title=Urge Release of Woman Pickets|date=1917-11-12|work=The Topeka Daily Capital|access-date=2020-01-29|pages=1|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref>
After women gained the right to vote, Todd continued advocating for women and workers. In 1920, she created a "Woman to Woman" committee which would bring working and immigrant women into dialogue with American women.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/43270797/newyork_tribune/|title=Miss Todd Seeks Woman's Committee for Labor Disputes|date=1920-01-02|work=New-York Tribune|access-date=2020-01-30|pages=6|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> When [[Russia]]n [[Communism|communists]] were deported, she worked to help the 100 children and wives of these men.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/43001153/chicago_tribune/|title=Aids Reds' Kin|date=1920-02-29|work=Chicago Tribune|access-date=2020-01-30|pages=11|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> Todd also campaigned for women's right to learn about [[birth control]], working with [[Margaret Sanger]].<ref name=":2">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/43271211/obituary_for_helen_todd_aged_83/|title=Helen Todd|date=1953-08-16|work=Daily News|access-date=2020-01-30|pages=78|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> She helped create low-cost housing called Twin Oaks in [[Greenwich Village]] for artists, working with [[Otto Hermann Kahn|Otto H. Kahn]] and [[Samuel Untermyer]].<ref name=":2" /><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/43271736/daily_news/|title=Yes, It's Going to Be Terrible|date=1927-03-06|work=Daily News|access-date=2020-01-30|pages=2|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref>
Todd died on August 15, 1953, at [[Cabrini Medical Center|Columbus Hospital]] in New York.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/43178354/poughkeepsie_journal/|title=Miss Helen Todd, 83, Women's Suffrage Head|date=1953-08-16|work=Poughkeepsie Journal|access-date=2020-01-28|pages=9A|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref>
== References ==
{{Reflist}}
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[[Category:1870 births]]
[[Category:1953 deaths]]
[[Category:American social workers]]
[[Category:American suffragists]]
[[Category:Educators from Illinois]]
[[Category:American women educators]]
[[Category:Factory inspectors]]