Wrapping Up Women's History Month: Julia Sand
As women’s history month draws to a close, I am reminded of the fact that there are little known women who have made massive impacts here in the United States. From women who made their way west to the women who today serve in our highest offices, women have long been impacting our political atmosphere.
As a woman myself, I have been on the cutting edge of political decisions and listened into various conversations that I know were a part of history. Women, though long underestimated, have begun to show the world that they too have a place in the history books.
The old saying goes that the hand who rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the world, but today women have no need to only rock a cradle. Women are able to stand alongside men making decisions, voting, running for office, and changing the world themselves and many have shown they can do that while also rocking a cradle.
The history of women making an impact has never fully been documented. Recently, one woman was brought to my attention that I had known nothing about previously. This woman was born before women could vote and was an invalid, but she made an impact from the meager resources she had.
With pen, paper, and a stamp, Julia I. Sand took to letter writing to state her thoughts to soon to be President, Chester A. Arthur. Julia did not hold back on what she thought that he ought to do. She gave her opinions freely and took for granted the fact that he might actually listen to her.
In reading her letters one would almost think that she was a confidant and an advisor to the President. Even though she had no official role, her words were valued and kept in the mind of President Arthur.
Politically, Julia was on a different page from President Arthur. Both of them were Republicans, but Julia leaned more toward the reform faction of the Republican party. She saw the vulnerability of President Arthur and the situation he was in. Her letters sought to give him advice on how he ought to proceed.
President Arthur was in a tough spot politically. Chosen to be the Vice President on the Republican ticket only due to Republican compromise, Arthur was never chosen with the idea of him ever becoming President. James Garfield represented what the Republican party stood for and their desire to move away from the corrupt policies of the past. Arthur represented fully the corrupt politics of the past and had even had a hand in the corruption of politics in New York. His corruption was well known and he was very untrusted by many Republicans. Compromise was necessary, though, for Republicans to garner enough votes to win. Therefore Arthur was placed on the ticket.
Julia read the papers and understood the politics of the day. She saw the corruption and as a fellow New Yorker was likely well aware of Arthur's political past. When President Garfield was shot by a man who wanted a political appointment and saw Arthur as the only man who would give him the appointment, Arthur was suddenly thrust into the limelight. Immediately, Arthur was distrusted by the American public and his political opponents. Questions swirled as to whether he had set this man up to shoot the President. Arthur was in a vulnerable position both personally and politically.
With his wife having died and no real person to trust outside of politicians, Arthur received his first letter from Julia Sand. Her first letter was bold and came at a time of crisis in the personal life of Arthur. It is obvious that she influenced him enough to garner a personal visit from the President. Her letters requested that Arthur visit and as time passed and letters came, Arthur made a visit to Julia and her family.
Her letters called him out, but also reminded him that he could change. She urged him to “Reform!” and to change his mind about political appointments. Her letters were bold and full of opinions that she thought he ought to consider.
In his vulnerable moments, Arthur likely took to the advice of this stranger who wrote to him. He listened and made changes based on her letters. Julia would read the papers and respond to what she read and heard in her handwritten letters to the President.
Julia, while an invalid, did not let her circumstances stop her from seeking to make a difference. Her letters were some of only a few papers that President Arthur did not burn. He had his son burn thousands of papers before Arthur died, but the letters from Julia Sand were kept. Why would Arthur keep her letters if only a small reminder to himself of how she encouraged him to change his ways and seek to make a difference.
If there is anything one can learn from Julia Sand, it is that we can make a difference. We may not use pen and ink, but we have social media and other forms of influence that can be used. Women have a unique voice and if we as women are given the chance to use that voice, we ought to use it.
I’m thankful to have the opportunity to live and work in D.C. as a woman and everyday I am reminded of the influence I have in this country. I’m thankful for women like Julia Sand who put pen to paper and did not hesitate to speak up - especially at a time when women rarely spoke up and were highly encouraged to remain silent.
This women’s history month, we should take the time to remember that we women do have a voice and our voice is a powerful voice - so we ought to use it to protect life, stand for truth, and remain unwavering in what we believe.