Nellie McClung and “The Famous Five” Nellie Letitia McClung (nee Mooney) (1873-1951) was a famous activist for woman’s suffrage (the right to vote), a strident reformer, popular author, and a legislator. An effective speaker, her biting humour and creative arguments left an unmistakable imprint on Canadian society.Her legacy is debated by feminist historians, however: while most acknowledge that she advanced the feminist cause in the early twentieth century, some have criticized her for being overly accepting of the traditional family structure. Students will also be introduced to other members of the “Famous Five” -- Henrietta Edwards, Emily Murphy, Louise McKinney, and Irene Parlby -- who carried the Persons Case to Britain and in 1929 celebrated the judgment that recognized women as persons under the British North America Act. Back to Lecture Outline

Lecture Notes

PowerPoint slides (PDF)

Readings:

Strong-Boag, Veronica. "'Ever a Crusader': Nellie McClung, First-Wave Feminist,” in Rethinking Canada: The Promise of Women's History, eds. Veronica Strong-Boag and Anita Clair Fellman (Toronto: Copp Clark, 1986), 178-90.

Further Readings

Famous Five website – NAC/NLC
http://www.collectionscanada.ca/05/0530_e.html
http://collections.ic.gc.ca/famous5/

Historica Minute – Nellie McClung

Historica Minute – Emily Murphy

On Nellie McClung

Benham, Mary Lile, Nellie McClung. Fitzhenry and Whiteside, 1985.
Fiamengo, J. “A legacy of ambivalence: responses to Nellie McClung,” Journal of Canadian Studies v. 34 no. 4 (Winter 1999/2000) p. 70-87
Hallett, Mary E. "The fight that never ends". Horizon Canada v.1 no. 10 (1984), 230-35
-- and Marilyn Davis. Firing the heather: the life and times of Nellie McClung. Saskatoon : Fifth House, c1994.
McClung, Nellie.Sowing Seeds in Danny. 1908
McClung, Nellie. The Second Chance. 1910
McClung, Nellie. The Black Creek Stopping-house and Other Stories. 1912
*McClung, Nellie. In Times Like These. 1915
McClung, Nellie. The Next of Kin. 1917
McClung, Nellie. Three Times and Out. 1918
McClung, Nellie. Purple Springs. 1921
McClung, Nellie. The Beauty of Martha. 1923
McClung, Nellie. When Christmas Crossed 'The Peace. 1923
McClung, Nellie. Painted Fires. 1925
McClung, Nellie. Flowers for the Living. 1931
McClung, Nellie. All We Like Sheep and Other Stories. 1926
McClung, Nellie. Be Good to Yourself. 1931
*McClung, Nellie. Clearing in the West. 1935 (Autobiography)
McClung, Nellie. Leaves from Lantern Lane. 1936
McClung, Nellie. More Leaves from Lantern Lane. 1937
*McClung, Nellie. The Stream Runs Fast. 1945 (Autobiography)
Savage, Candace. Our Nell : a scrapbook biography of Nellie L. McClung. Saskatoon : Western Producer Prairie Books, 1979.
Warne, Randi Ruth. Literature as pulpit : the Christian social activism of Nellie L. McClung. Waterloo, Ont. : Wilfrid Laurier University Press, 1993.

On The Famous Five

Airhart, Phylis D. Serving the Present Age. McGill/Queen's University Press
*Cleverdon, Catherine. The Woman Suffrage Movement in Canada. 2nd ed. 1974
Cormack, Barbara Villy. Perennials and Politics: The Life Story of Hon. Irene Parlby, LL.D. Professional Printing Ltd.
Edwards, Henrietta Muir. The Legal Status of Women in Alberta. 1921
---. The Legal Status of Women in Canada. 1921
*Famous 5 Foundation. The Famous 5: Nation Builders. 1999
*Griffiths, N.E.S. The Splendid Vision: Centennial History of the National Council of Women of Canada, 1893-1993. Carleton University Press, 1993
*Hancock, Carol. No Small Legacy. 1989, Northstone
James, Donna. Emily Murphy. 1977. Fitzhenry and Whiteside
*Kome, Penney. Women of Influence. 1985. Doubleday
Mander, Christine. Emily Murphy: Rebel. 1985. Simon & Pierre
MacLaren, Sherrill. Invisible Power. 1991
MacEwan, Grant. Mighty Women: Stories of Western Canadian Pioneers. 1988
Millar, Nancy. Remember Me As You Pass By. 1994
---. The Famous 5: Emily Murphy and the Case of the Missing Persons. Western Heritage Centre. 1999.
*Murphy, Emily. The Black Candle. 1922
*Norris, Marjorie. A Leaven of Ladies. Detselig. 1995
*Sanderson, Kay. 200 Remarkable Alberta Women. Famous 5 Foundation. 1999
Saunders, B.H. Emily Murphy, Crusader. 1945

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