Nelly McClung
"She was spirited, she was amazing, she was effective," a few commonly used words to describe Nellie McClung. She was a petit, pretty westerner with strong Christian values and a heart of gold. Nellie spent most of her life as a wife, mother, midwife, teacher, lecturer, legislator and writer. Throughout her long, diverse career she was a potent influence on Canadian society. From a young age Nellie was advanced far beyond her years. She read every book she could get a hold of, knew women should be treated as equals, and that she was against liquor. Nellie knew women deserved more rights and that someday she would devote her life to enforce those rights through activism and literature. "Women are going to form a chain, a greater sisterhood than the world has ever known." While maintaining the role of a mother and writer Nellie was a strong and influential temperance worker and suffragist. Nellie had a devotion to the significance of family life. As a teen Nellie was taught that a woman couldn't be a mother and a wife and have a career, and she chose a career. "A woman had to decide early between ambition and family life: there was not so much as a hint that one might hope for both." While teachi
Nellie was an exceptional person all her life. She was a novelist, mother, friend to many and fought for women's rights. She never let other's opinion bother her and her children were always taken cared of. It wasn't just her. She married the perfect man. Wes realized the passion Nellie had for what she did and the talent she had inside, and it was his support and his switching roles and watching the kids that helped Nellie accomplish what she had. Some believed that the term "suffragette" and "happy marriage didn't go, but in 1946 the McClungs celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. She lead the way for women to come by helping us receive the right to vote and work just like men do. She was a role model in the sense that she showed women that if you want to accomplish any thing you can and that there was no such thing as men and women having separate places in society. She loved to entertain and was loved by everyone around her. Over the years on the 100th anniversary of Nellie's birth in 1973 the Nellie McClung stamp was released in her honour. Nellie will always be remembered by her famous words "Never retreat, never explain, never apologize. Get the thing done and let them howl." The day after this speech was made the Political Equality league led by Nellie staged a Mock Parliament- a vice-versa situation in which the entire membership of the legislature was female. Nellie of course was the star of the show and it caught a lot of people's attention. An other election was coming and the liberal leader, Norris gave his support to female suffrage so Nellie and her girls threw themselves into the campaign. Nellie did a lot of public speaking where there was a charge to hear her talk and thousands of people showed up, she spoke in churches and toured across Canada. This also gave her enough money to cover expenses and some left over to send home to help out while she was away. To Nellie's dismay on July 10th 1914, the conservatives won and again formed the government. Even though suffragettes were often criticized for neglecting their families Nellie had the support of her husband and five children. In recent years women have achieved such prominent political positions as Speaker of the House of Commons, Justices of the Supreme Court of Canada, Lieutenant-Governor of the Province of Ontario, president of the Liberal Party of Canada, and Governor-General of Canada.
Some common words found in the essay are:
Nellie McClung, Sir Rodmond, Mock Parliament-, Canada Nellie, Wes McClung, Child Nellie, Seeds Danny, Lantern Lane, Legislation Act, Nellie WCTU, sir rodmond, nellie mcclung, political equality, leaves lantern lane, lantern lane, equality league, female suffrage, led nellie, woman suffrage, family life, political equality league, christian temperance union, women's rights,
Approximate Word count = 1798
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)
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