How the Vote Was Won: A Play in One Act (Paperback or Softback)

First performed in 1908, How the Vote Was Won is a one act play by actress Cicely Hamilton and Christopher St. John. Set in England during the early 18th century, How the Vote Was Won uses comedy to tell a story in support of women’s suffrage. In this one act the English government tells its people that women do not need to worry about having the right to vote because the men will be in charge of taking care of them. This was part of the ridiculous idea held by the United Kingdom, and the world at the time. Women were held under the authority of their husbands, and would be solely supported by them. This allowed them no place in politics and took away their autonomy. The play stars Horace, an anti-suffragist, who is confronted by many of his female relatives demanding that he start supporting them since they have no rights. Many of these women formally held jobs, financially supporting themselves but have quit in protest and support of the movement for women to have voting rights, the same as men. Now, Horace is forced to either support each of these women, practicing what he preaches, or admit to his hypocritical beliefs. Written by two of the most notable champions in literature for women’s rights in the United Kingdom, How the Vote Was Won by Cecily Hamilton and Christopher St. John served as a clever and humorous way to address the inequalities women suffered. Today, the work of these two passionate activists still provides an accurate portrayal of the political landscape they lived in. This edition of How the Vote Was Won by Cecily Hamilton and Christopher St. John features an eye-catching new cover design and is presented in a font that is both modern and readable. With these accommodations, this edition is accessible and appealing to contemporary audiences, restoring How the Vote Was Won to modern standards while preserving the clever comedy and impact of the work of Cecily Hamilton and Christopher St. John.

Cicely Hamilton (1872-1952) was born as Cicely Hammill in 1872 in Paddington, London. She was taken in by foster parents after her mother disappeared. After becoming an actress, Cicely changed her last name to Hamilton to protect her family’s privacy. Not only was Hamilton an actress, she was also a writer, journalist and feminist who aided in the struggle for women’s suffrage in the United Kingdom. She founded the Women Writers Suffrage League with Bessie Hatton in 1908, which hosted many other famous women of literature, all in effort of obtaining rights for women and making their plight known. Hamilton wrote the famous suffrage song The March of the Women. Hamilton also wrote for magazines and freelanced as a journalist, informing the public about birth control and other rights women deserved. During World War I, she aided as a nurse and then as a performer to keep up morale amongst troops. Cicely Hamilton died in 1952 as an accomplished writer, actress and prominent figure for women’s rights.

Christopher St. John (1871-1960) was a British author, playwright, and activist. Born Christabel Gertrude Marshal, St. John changed her name after her conversion to Catholicism in 1912. While studying to become a dramatist, St. John moved in with her boss’s daughter, Edith Craig, and the two quickly became an inseparable couple. Later, an artist named Clare Atwood also joined the relationship, which the three maintained for the entirety of their adult lives. Passionate about the women’s suffrage movement, St. John worked with other prominent leaders in the movement, writing articles and creating feminist literature to raise awareness and morale for the movement.