Lydia Taft
Encyclopedia
Lydia Chapin (February 2, 1712 – November 9, 1778) was the first known legal woman voter in colonial America. This occurred in the New England town
Town Meeting
, at Uxbridge, MA Massachusetts Colony.
, Worcester County, Massachusetts
on 2 February 1712. She was the daughter of Seth Chapin, and Bethia Thurston. Seth Chapin was a respected member of the community and a Captain in the militia. Young Lydia Chapin grew up in Mendon, in a large family with nine siblings. Lydia's mother had 14 children. Her father Seth owned much property in what is today Milford
, south Hopedale
and Posts Lane in Mendon.
The family lived on 45 acres (182,108.7 m²) near the Post's Lane bridge and Mill River.
In 1727 the western part of Mendon became the newly incorporated town of Uxbridge
. Mendon and Uxbridge were at that time rural communities in central Massachusetts. The reference cited also mentions that she married a Taft. In 1731, these communities became part of the new county of Worcester County
.
, on December 28, 1731 at the Congregational Church
in Mendon. Josiah Taft was born on April 2, 1709. Josiah's father Daniel, had been a local "squire" and Justice of the Peace. Lydia and Josiah then settled in Uxbridge. Josiah and Lydia had eight children between 1732 and 1753. Their children were: Josiah, born 10 May 1733, Ebenezer, born 20 August 1735, (died 16 October 1735), Caleb, born 15 January 1739, Asahel born 23 April 1740, Joel, born 15 August 1742, (died before 19 February 1747), Joel born 19 February 1748; {died 30 August 1749} at age 1, Bazaleel, born 3 November 1750, and Chloe, born 7 June 1753.
Josiah became a prominent citizen in early Uxbridge as wealthy farmer, local official, and Massachusetts legislator. He served several terms as a member of the Board of Selectmen
, as town clerk, as town moderator, and in the Massachusetts General Court
. HR, 1753.
. He presided over the proceedings of the New England
style open town meeting
. It is later reported, that Josiah Taft became the largest taxpayer in the town of Uxbridge in 1756. In the fall of 1756, Josiah and Lydia's 18 year old son, Caleb, became ill, while studying at Harvard, and died on September 19. Josiah went to Boston and Cambridge to bury Caleb. Josiah himself became ill after returning home, and died on September 30, at age 47. It was reported that he left a good estate with bonds and a will. This was immediately prior to an important vote on the town's support for the war effort in the French and Indian War
s. Josiah's untimely death opened the door for Lydia's step into America's history of women's suffrage
.
, Caleb's younger brother, was just a minor, the townspeople voted to allow Lydia, "the widow Josiah Taft", to vote in this important meeting.http://books.google.com/books?id=ua-pgcKRY2QC&pg=RA1-PA172&lpg=RA1-PA172&dq=address+delivered+at+unitarian+church+chapin+henry+first+woman+voter&source=web&ots=7ee5DY_fWW&sig=zwP9Z01uzpEadUVGB_b9XeA0QTw
Lydia then received Josiah's proxy
to vote in this important town meeting. Lydia Chapin Taft then became the first recorded legal woman voter in America. Lydia Chapin Taft, now simply known as Lydia Taft, voted in an official New England Open Town Meeting
, at Uxbridge, Massachusetts, on October 30, 1756. This is recorded in the records of the Uxbridge Town Meeting. Lydia Taft of Uxbridge became the first woman to ever vote in the nation.
Judge Henry Chapin records in his 1864 address to the Unitarian church, that, "Uxbridge may yet become famous as the pioneer in the cause of Women's suffrage
".
This was written 56 years before women's suffrage became legal in all of America. Lydia Taft's historic vote would precede the constitutional amendment for women's suffrage, which was in 1920, by 164 years. In 2007, Uxbridge may still become famous in the history of women's suffrage. According to Judge Chapin, the vote to allow Lydia to vote in 1756, was following the tradition of "no taxation without representation
".
The early town records demonstrate at least two other occasions when Lydia voted in official Uxbridge Town meetings, both in 1758 and again in 1765. This occurred while Massachusetts, was a colony of Great Britain. Lydia Chapin Taft's historic vote and her role in the history of women's suffrage
is recognized by the Massachusetts legislature since 2004, which named Massachusetts Route 146A from Uxbridge to the Rhode Island
border in her honor. http://www.mass.gov/legis/laws/seslaw04/sl040056.htm Margaret Brent
of Maryland Colony tried to assert property rights and to vote in 1647 on behalf of herself and Lord Calvert's estate. It is reported that this was denied by the Governor. She is the only other known claimant to the title. The record shows that Lydia Chapin Taft was America's first legal woman voter. Lydia Taft died at Uxbridge in 1778, shortly after U.S. independence.
. She cast a vote to increase the town's contribution, thereby giving herself the distinction of being the first woman to vote in this country. She is mentioned in town records a few times more, once in 1758 to reduce her highway rates and another in 1765 was to change her school district."
Her vote was in favor of appropriating funds for the regiments engaged in the French and Indian War
.
Lydia died at Uxbridge on November 9, 1778, at the age of 65.
New England town
The New England town is the basic unit of local government in each of the six New England states. Without a direct counterpart in most other U.S. states, New England towns are conceptually similar to civil townships in other states, but are incorporated, possessing powers like cities in other...
Town Meeting
Town meeting
A town meeting is a form of direct democratic rule, used primarily in portions of the United States since the 17th century, in which most or all the members of a community come together to legislate policy and budgets for local government....
, at Uxbridge, MA Massachusetts Colony.
Early life
Lydia Chapin was born in MendonMendon, Massachusetts
Mendon is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 5,839 at the 2010 census.Mendon is very historic and is now part of the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor, the oldest industrialized region in the United States.- Early history :The Nipmuc people...
, Worcester County, Massachusetts
Worcester County, Massachusetts
-Demographics:In 1990 Worcester County had a population of 709,705.As of the census of 2000, there were 750,963 people, 283,927 households, and 192,502 families residing in the county. The population density was 496 people per square mile . There were 298,159 housing units at an average density...
on 2 February 1712. She was the daughter of Seth Chapin, and Bethia Thurston. Seth Chapin was a respected member of the community and a Captain in the militia. Young Lydia Chapin grew up in Mendon, in a large family with nine siblings. Lydia's mother had 14 children. Her father Seth owned much property in what is today Milford
Milford, Massachusetts
Milford is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. It had a population of 27,999 at the 2010 census.For geographic and demographic information on the census-designated place Milford, constituting the center of the town, please see the article Milford ,...
, south Hopedale
Hopedale, Massachusetts
Hopedale is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 5,911 at the 2010 census.For geographic and demographic information on the census-designated place Hopedale, please see the article Hopedale , Massachusetts....
and Posts Lane in Mendon.
The family lived on 45 acres (182,108.7 m²) near the Post's Lane bridge and Mill River.
In 1727 the western part of Mendon became the newly incorporated town of Uxbridge
Uxbridge, Massachusetts
Uxbridge is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, in the United States. It was first settled in 1662, incorporated in 1727 at Suffolk County, and named for the Earl of Uxbridge. Uxbridge is south-southeast of Worcester, north-northwest of Providence, and southwest of Boston. It is part of...
. Mendon and Uxbridge were at that time rural communities in central Massachusetts. The reference cited also mentions that she married a Taft. In 1731, these communities became part of the new county of Worcester County
Worcester County, Massachusetts
-Demographics:In 1990 Worcester County had a population of 709,705.As of the census of 2000, there were 750,963 people, 283,927 households, and 192,502 families residing in the county. The population density was 496 people per square mile . There were 298,159 housing units at an average density...
.
Marriage to Josiah Taft
Lydia Chapin was married to Josiah TaftJosiah Taft
-Early life:Josiah was born on April 2, 1709, at Mendon, Massachusetts, the son of Daniel and Taft, and the grandson of the first American Taft, Robert Taft, Sr. Josiah's father Daniel, had been a local "squire" and Justice of the Peace...
, on December 28, 1731 at the Congregational Church
Congregational church
Congregational churches are Protestant Christian churches practicing Congregationalist church governance, in which each congregation independently and autonomously runs its own affairs....
in Mendon. Josiah Taft was born on April 2, 1709. Josiah's father Daniel, had been a local "squire" and Justice of the Peace. Lydia and Josiah then settled in Uxbridge. Josiah and Lydia had eight children between 1732 and 1753. Their children were: Josiah, born 10 May 1733, Ebenezer, born 20 August 1735, (died 16 October 1735), Caleb, born 15 January 1739, Asahel born 23 April 1740, Joel, born 15 August 1742, (died before 19 February 1747), Joel born 19 February 1748; {died 30 August 1749} at age 1, Bazaleel, born 3 November 1750, and Chloe, born 7 June 1753.
Josiah became a prominent citizen in early Uxbridge as wealthy farmer, local official, and Massachusetts legislator. He served several terms as a member of the Board of Selectmen
Board of selectmen
The board of selectmen is commonly the executive arm of the government of New England towns in the United States. The board typically consists of three or five members, with or without staggered terms.-History:...
, as town clerk, as town moderator, and in the Massachusetts General Court
Massachusetts General Court
The Massachusetts General Court is the state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The name "General Court" is a hold-over from the Colonial Era, when this body also sat in judgment of judicial appeals cases...
. HR, 1753.
Place in early American history
Josiah Taft was originally known as Ensign Josiah Taft in the Uxbridge Militia, and later as Lieutenant, and then Captain Josiah Taft in the French and Indian WarFrench and Indian War
The French and Indian War is the common American name for the war between Great Britain and France in North America from 1754 to 1763. In 1756, the war erupted into the world-wide conflict known as the Seven Years' War and thus came to be regarded as the North American theater of that war...
. He presided over the proceedings of the New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
style open town meeting
Open town meeting
An open town meeting is a form of town meeting in which all registered voters of a town may vote . This form of government is typical of smaller municipalities in the New England region of the United States....
. It is later reported, that Josiah Taft became the largest taxpayer in the town of Uxbridge in 1756. In the fall of 1756, Josiah and Lydia's 18 year old son, Caleb, became ill, while studying at Harvard, and died on September 19. Josiah went to Boston and Cambridge to bury Caleb. Josiah himself became ill after returning home, and died on September 30, at age 47. It was reported that he left a good estate with bonds and a will. This was immediately prior to an important vote on the town's support for the war effort in the French and Indian War
French and Indian War
The French and Indian War is the common American name for the war between Great Britain and France in North America from 1754 to 1763. In 1756, the war erupted into the world-wide conflict known as the Seven Years' War and thus came to be regarded as the North American theater of that war...
s. Josiah's untimely death opened the door for Lydia's step into America's history of women's suffrage
Women's suffrage
Women's suffrage or woman suffrage is the right of women to vote and to run for office. The expression is also used for the economic and political reform movement aimed at extending these rights to women and without any restrictions or qualifications such as property ownership, payment of tax, or...
.
Women's suffrage
Given the important nature of the vote, the landowner and taxpayer status of Josiah's estate, and the fact that young BazaleelBezaleel Taft, Sr.
-The Honorable Bezaleel Taft, Sr.'s home:Today Honorable Bezaleel Taft's home is known as "Hon. Bazaleel Taft House" and is listed on the National Historic Register. It has the Georgian architecture style, as does his son's home nearby, Elmshade. Both homes were well known in the Taft family for...
, Caleb's younger brother, was just a minor, the townspeople voted to allow Lydia, "the widow Josiah Taft", to vote in this important meeting.http://books.google.com/books?id=ua-pgcKRY2QC&pg=RA1-PA172&lpg=RA1-PA172&dq=address+delivered+at+unitarian+church+chapin+henry+first+woman+voter&source=web&ots=7ee5DY_fWW&sig=zwP9Z01uzpEadUVGB_b9XeA0QTw
Lydia then received Josiah's proxy
Proxy voting
Proxy voting has two forms: delegable voting and delegated voting, which are procedures for the delegation to another member of a voting body of that member's power to vote in his absence, and/or for the selection of additional representatives, as in the case with transitive proxies...
to vote in this important town meeting. Lydia Chapin Taft then became the first recorded legal woman voter in America. Lydia Chapin Taft, now simply known as Lydia Taft, voted in an official New England Open Town Meeting
Open town meeting
An open town meeting is a form of town meeting in which all registered voters of a town may vote . This form of government is typical of smaller municipalities in the New England region of the United States....
, at Uxbridge, Massachusetts, on October 30, 1756. This is recorded in the records of the Uxbridge Town Meeting. Lydia Taft of Uxbridge became the first woman to ever vote in the nation.
Judge Henry Chapin records in his 1864 address to the Unitarian church, that, "Uxbridge may yet become famous as the pioneer in the cause of Women's suffrage
Women's suffrage
Women's suffrage or woman suffrage is the right of women to vote and to run for office. The expression is also used for the economic and political reform movement aimed at extending these rights to women and without any restrictions or qualifications such as property ownership, payment of tax, or...
".
This was written 56 years before women's suffrage became legal in all of America. Lydia Taft's historic vote would precede the constitutional amendment for women's suffrage, which was in 1920, by 164 years. In 2007, Uxbridge may still become famous in the history of women's suffrage. According to Judge Chapin, the vote to allow Lydia to vote in 1756, was following the tradition of "no taxation without representation
No taxation without representation
"No taxation without representation" is a slogan originating during the 1750s and 1760s that summarized a primary grievance of the British colonists in the Thirteen Colonies, which was one of the major causes of the American Revolution...
".
The early town records demonstrate at least two other occasions when Lydia voted in official Uxbridge Town meetings, both in 1758 and again in 1765. This occurred while Massachusetts, was a colony of Great Britain. Lydia Chapin Taft's historic vote and her role in the history of women's suffrage
Women's suffrage
Women's suffrage or woman suffrage is the right of women to vote and to run for office. The expression is also used for the economic and political reform movement aimed at extending these rights to women and without any restrictions or qualifications such as property ownership, payment of tax, or...
is recognized by the Massachusetts legislature since 2004, which named Massachusetts Route 146A from Uxbridge to the Rhode Island
Rhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
border in her honor. http://www.mass.gov/legis/laws/seslaw04/sl040056.htm Margaret Brent
Margaret Brent
Margaret Brent , an English immigrant to the Colony of Maryland, was the first woman in the English North American colonies to appear before a court of the Common Law. She was a significant founding settler in the early histories of the colonies of Maryland and Virginia...
of Maryland Colony tried to assert property rights and to vote in 1647 on behalf of herself and Lord Calvert's estate. It is reported that this was denied by the Governor. She is the only other known claimant to the title. The record shows that Lydia Chapin Taft was America's first legal woman voter. Lydia Taft died at Uxbridge in 1778, shortly after U.S. independence.
Footnote of historic vote
The complete footnote of local history is as follows: "The October 25 town meeting records simply say that on account of Josiah's death a new moderator will be chosen. With the death of Josiah, Lydia is left to care for 16-year-old Asahael, 6-year-old Bezaleel and 3-year-old Cloa. As seems to be her fate, her life and the life of her town are again intertwined. The French and Indian war is being waged and towns must vote as to whether to increase the amount they will contribute to the cost of the war. The only individuals allowed to vote were freeholders, (free male property holders), and Josiah's estate was valued as one of the largest in the town. Out of respect for his large contribution to the town, the town fathers allowed Lydia to vote as Josiah's proxyProxy voting
Proxy voting has two forms: delegable voting and delegated voting, which are procedures for the delegation to another member of a voting body of that member's power to vote in his absence, and/or for the selection of additional representatives, as in the case with transitive proxies...
. She cast a vote to increase the town's contribution, thereby giving herself the distinction of being the first woman to vote in this country. She is mentioned in town records a few times more, once in 1758 to reduce her highway rates and another in 1765 was to change her school district."
Her vote was in favor of appropriating funds for the regiments engaged in the French and Indian War
French and Indian War
The French and Indian War is the common American name for the war between Great Britain and France in North America from 1754 to 1763. In 1756, the war erupted into the world-wide conflict known as the Seven Years' War and thus came to be regarded as the North American theater of that war...
.
Lydia died at Uxbridge on November 9, 1778, at the age of 65.
Other reference links
- The Chapin Genealogy, p. 226-227
- Taft familyTaft familyThe Taft family of the United States hails from Cincinnati, Ohio, with historic origins in Massachusetts; its members have served Ohio, Massachusetts, Vermont, Rhode Island, Utah, and the United States in various positions, such as Governor of Ohio, Governor of Rhode Island, U.S. Senator , U.S...