Comments on: Dead presidents for a problem involving a dead president: a history mystery at the Virginia Historical Society

By: Historiann

Historiann — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 18:55:05 +0000

I don’t know–you might re-send it with a note saying that your e-mail has been acting up, just in case.

By: Doris Rosen

Doris Rosen — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 18:45:33 +0000

I sent the message as directed but I’m not sure it didn’t go astray, my email was acting oddly. Is there any way to find if it went there?

By: Historiann

Historiann — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 19:13:31 +0000

Doris–I hope you sent this in to the VHS!

Awesome. How funny if the answer were hiding in plain sight in a recent book!

By: Doris Rosen

Doris Rosen — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 18:59:43 +0000

“I refer you to a book I recently read by Joyce Appleby – Inheriting the Revolution. She relates how Albert Gallatin when asked to suggest cabinet members ventured to say that perhaps it would be useful to consider women for a cabinet position. He then received Jefferson’s testy reply.”

By: Mamie

Mamie — Sun, 28 Aug 2011 03:25:06 +0000

I don’t know enough about the political discussions of this period to make a legitimate stab at an answer, but I did take note of the date. 1807 is the year New Jersey repealed the provision in its constitution that allowed unmarried women of property to vote.

The debate over woman suffrage in New Jersey reached a new peak in 1806-1807. Was concern about women voters seeking public office part of the discussion? If so, Gallatin might have made a reference (possibly humorous–the voting women of New Jersey tended to be Federalists), and this was Jefferson’s reply.

By: Susan

Susan — Sat, 27 Aug 2011 14:02:52 +0000

@greenconsciousness, thats a softball, not a mystery! We got the vote…

By: Tanya Roth

Tanya Roth — Sat, 27 Aug 2011 02:58:24 +0000

I’ve also passed this on to someone I know who’s been studying early American political appointments/nominations.

By: Greenconsciousness

Greenconsciousness — Sat, 27 Aug 2011 01:09:08 +0000

What happened Aug 26th, 1920?

By: Indyanna

Indyanna — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 23:05:27 +0000

robyn gets the prize (the secondary prize, for the citation) which is currently unfunded–mostly due to recalcitrance and ideological double-talk on the other side of the proverbial “aisle” in Washington. But a good pickup on the cite.

By: Historiann

Historiann — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 22:21:32 +0000

Thanks, Notorious! I’m glad you spread the word.