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Primary sourcePainting

The Apotheosis of Suffrage

George Yost Coffin

A satirical cartoon by George Yost Coffin mocking Stanton and other suffrage leaders by placing them in a mock heavenly scene.

This satirical cartoon shows Stanton as a target of press mockery, holding her controversial book The Woman's Bible.

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Black-and-white ink drawing of a suffrage allegory. Under an arch reading 'National American Woman Suffrage Association, 28th Annual Convention', three seated women and George Washington sit on clouds. Stanton holds a book labeled 'The Woman's Bible' and a tall torch; Susan B. Anthony blows a trumpet. Figures at the edges include a woman labeled Wyoming and another labeled Utah. Signed G.Y. Coffin.
George Yost Coffin, The Apotheosis of Suffrage, cartoon drawing.

About this source

What it is

This is a black-and-white ink cartoon drawn by George Yost Coffin, captioned as a parody of a famous fresco in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda. It shows Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony, and other figures seated on clouds alongside George Washington, under a banner for a National American Woman Suffrage Association convention.

Why it matters

Cartoons like this reveal how the press often ridiculed suffrage leaders rather than taking their arguments seriously. Stanton is shown holding her controversial book, The Woman's Bible, which drew criticism even from within the suffrage movement. The cartoon shows both her prominence and the mockery she faced.

Look closer

  • Why might the artist place these women in a mock-heavenly scene with George Washington?
  • What does the choice to show Stanton holding The Woman's Bible suggest about what critics focused on?
  • How might this cartoon have affected public opinion of the suffrage movement?

This painting is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Elizabeth Cady Stanton on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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Elizabeth Cady Stanton · 1881-1922

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Elizabeth Cady Stanton · 1868

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