Nursery Rhymes

for Women's Suffrage

The following nursery rhymes were written by suffragettes and are based on Mother Goose rhymes. These versions were written to reflect the feeling of suffragettes.

 

 

Jack and Jill have equal will

And equal strength and mind

But when it comes to equal rights

Poor Jill trails far behind.

 

Mary, Mary quite contrary

How does suffrage grow?

With courage, faith and patience,

And working girls all in a row.

 

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall.

Humpty Dumpty had a great fall;

Its takes all the women as well as the men

To make a true Republic. Amen.

Little Jack Horner sat in a corner

Eating Political Pie

He put in his thumb and pulled out a plum

And said What a Big Boy am I

Poor little Mary (Not really contrary)

Had a right to look glum

Why should Jack Horner on pies have a corner

And poor little Mary have none!

-From The Suffragist, 1913 and 1914

The following poems were written by our team members to express our feelings on the issue of sufferage and women's rights: 

Old Mother Hubbard

Went to the ballot

To express her right to vote

But when she got there,

The ballot master said "Don't Dare,"

So poor Mother Hubbard had doubt.

Mary G.

Rights rights, come and stay,

We'll use you every day,

Because we need to live our way

Sara S.

There was a little girl and she had a little curl,

Right in the middle of her forehead,

When she got rights she was very very good,

But when she didn't she was horrid

Sara S.

Peter peter pumkin eater,

Had a wife but couldn't keep her,

Because she was bright,

She rebelled for equal rights.

Sara S.

Little drops of courage

Little grains of hope

Make the women's movement

And the right to vote

Mary G.