Mrs M. Brown and US. Election
- Thread starter Aly Jones
- Start date
Mark Baber
RIP
Ummm...what do you mean "run the election"?
Mark Baber
RIP
Ah...so you meant "run in," not "run." Thanks.
Robert T. Paige
Member
According to the Wikipedia she "ran" for Senator from Colorado in 1914 but was not elected.
Robert T. Paige
Member
Then 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution was passed in 1920 giving women the right to vote.
Apparently they could run for office before that but could not vote.
I would have to check back on this but I think the first woman elected to Congress was some time around 1917.
Apparently they could run for office before that but could not vote.
I would have to check back on this but I think the first woman elected to Congress was some time around 1917.
Bo Bowman
Member
I hate people who are sticklers for annoying details of no consequence, but this is my chance to be one! It is my understanding that Mrs. Brown was never called "Molly," and that the nickname was fabricated by either a reporter or the writer of the play about her. As I understand it, "molly" was a derogative term in those days for a hooker or easy woman. Kind of like "broad," and few if any would willingly adopt it as a nickname. Of course, the whole world now knows her as "Molly" Brown.
What is the cumulative wisdom of this group on this? I'd love to hear.
What is the cumulative wisdom of this group on this? I'd love to hear.
Steven Christian
Member
I got curious and looked it up. Molly was a common nickname for girls named Mary. But it did have other meanings over time. Molly was also a slur used to decribe effimant weak men as in "girly man". First thing that came to my mind was it might have been slang for a "gunman's moll"..you know those bad girls that were the girlfriends of the likes of Dillinger, Machine gun Kelly...ect ect. Whenever the term "Molly" was used around here with my generation it always was slang for Molybdenum. They mine a lot of it around here. Today I guess it means drugs...another slang for homemade drugs like Ecstasy and such. Also means "bitter" in some cases. But from what I found I guess in Australia the term "moll or "molly" means loose woman. I guess Molly Ringwald would be upset to hear that.
en.wikipedia.org
en.wikipedia.org
Molly (name) - Wikipedia
Moll (slang) - Wikipedia
Last edited:
Stephen Carey
Member
I guess the mother /author of this young lady would be disturbed to hear the connotations of her daughter's name!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milly-Molly-Mandy
Milly-Molly-Mandy refers to a series of children's books written and illustrated by Joyce Lankester Brisley, as well as to the main character of those books. Each book has a number of short stories about the little girl in the pink-and-white striped dress.
My sister in law's name is also Mollie and it's quite common amongst the older generation (ie age 70s).
Two countries separated by a common language...
Steven Christian
Member
Your Welcome. On a side note: I like the name Molly. Never entered my mind that it was used as negative slang. I think its a cool name.
Steven Christian
Member
Thanks for that. She was an interesting person. I've seen her in WW2 documentaries as the only one in congress to vote against declaring war on Japan in 1941. She also voted against the US entering WW1. She was a commited pacifist and stuck to her beliefs. Right or wrong she was her own woman.
Robert T. Paige
Member
Thanks to all concerned. (as usual)
Question:
Did she serve continuously at least from 1916 to 1941 ? Re-elected every time ?
Question:
Did she serve continuously at least from 1916 to 1941 ? Re-elected every time ?
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