Tennessee Woman Suffrage Memorial
The Tennessee Woman Suffrage Memorial was dedicated on Saturday, August 26, 2006. It portrays three prominent Tennessee women who fought for ratification of the 19th amendment. Even in 2006, a century after the movement, history still is reflecting honor and appreciation for the contributions of brave souls who dedicated their lives to making a difference for future generations. The dedication itself was a radical event. Dozen's of women reenacted a women's suffrage parade, many even dressed the part (Tennessee state library and archives, 2009).
A closer look...
This statue was created by Alan Lequire, a well-known historical sculptor, to honor three prominent figures which represented Tennessee in the Women's Suffrage Movement. These three women are intended to be symbolic of the movement in each of the three divisions of Tennessee (West, Middle, and East). Elizabeth Avery Meriwether (left) represents West Tennessee (Hermsdorfer), Lizzie Crozier French (middle) represents Middle Tennessee (DeFiorer, 2010), and Anne Dallas Dudley (right) represents East Tennessee (Bucy, 2010). While by no means did these women fight the battle for slavery alone, they were prominent leaders/civil-rights pioneers representing Tennessee. The life-size statue stands in Knoxville's Market Square, a result of nearly a decade of construction and private fund raising totaling about $100,000 (Printech graphic communications, 2005).