Give Mother The Vote, We Need It

This design was created by Rose Cecil O'Neil in 1915. At the time, O'Neil was an activist for the women's suffrage movement. She was a self-taught artist from Missouri who soon became one of the highest-paid female illustrators in the United States. 

The fight for suffrage began in 1848 and lasted until 1920. Susan B. Anthony and Cady Stanton formed the National Woman Suffrage Association, which organized protests, lobbied, and hosted parades to advocate for the cause. After 72 years, Congress passed the 19th Amendment guaranteeing women's suffrage, stating, "The right of citizens to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the US or by any State on account of sex."

Illustrator Rose Cecil O'Neil was known for her "Kewpie Dolls," or illustrations of cartoon babies. These can be seen in many women's magazines or illustrated comics. Because they were beloved and well-known characters, the inclusion of the Kewpie Babies in her suffrage movement poster helped people become more familiar with and accept the movement. 

In her design, the Kewpie Babies are lined in rows, protesting for suffrage, holding a sign "votes for our mothers." Below the babies, O'Neil includes, "Our food, our health, our play, our homes, our schools, our work is ruled my men's votes." To further this point, O'Neil asks a question at the bottom of the poster, "Isn't it a funny thing that father cannot see why mother ought to have a vote on how these things should be?

Not only was the design effective because the public was familiar with O'Neils beloved Kewpie Dolls, but the fact that they are babies also helped to make the movement about children and securing the wellbeing of children and future generations through the expansion of women's rights to vote.