From Socialite to Suffragist: The Evolution of Alva Belmont
Abstract:
Alva Erskine Smith Vanderbilt Belmont was a woman ahead of her time. One of the wealthiest women in America, her impact is felt today in many different realms of American life. A southern woman by birth, she rose to marry into the Vanderbilt family, where she lived a life of great privilege and amassed respect and influence in upper crust New York society and beyond. Her role in her daughter’s marriage is one of the more famous aspects of Belmont’s life, for that is what has given Belmont the reputation of a mere society figure intent on advancing her family. However, Belmont is unique in that she completely evolved from that stereotype, rising to become one of the foremost financial backers and thinkers of the American women’s suffrage movement. She played an important role in getting women the right to vote, for it was through many of her efforts that the nineteenth amendment was passed.
Alva Belmont deserves more recognition and praise in American history. A dynamic and courageous woman who lived her life in the public eye for more than half her life, she was an ambitious woman who fought long and hard for the rights of women all over the country.