Bake sales and cookbooks were fundraisers for women’s suffrage in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Recipes for treats like kiss cakes and ginger cookies were published in suffragist newspapers and cookbooks.
Elizabeth Gillis/NPR
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Elizabeth Gillis/NPR
The fight for women’s voting rights in America had a unique twist with bake sales and cookbooks playing a significant role. Suffragists used these methods to raise funds and promote their cause. Despite the seeming contradiction of women baking while fighting for equality, it proved to be an effective strategy in building solidarity and advancing their agenda.
Recreating the recipes from suffrage-era bake sales proved to be a challenge, with measurements in pounds rather than cups and ingredients that are no longer readily available. The lack of specific cooking instructions also added to the difficulty.
Juli McLoone, curator of the Janice Bluestein Longone Culinary Archive at the University of Michigan, explained the historical context of these recipes, noting the challenges of baking in the 1880s without modern temperature control.
Despite the obstacles, attempting to bake kiss cakes from 1885 provided a glimpse into the past, showcasing a simpler and less sweet version of cookies. These baked goods were popular at suffrage events, helping to fund activists’ travels across the country.
