Women’s Suffrage in Sheet Music

For as long as socially and politically aware citizens have gathered to protest laws and voice dissent, music has served a paramount role. The items in Women's Suffrage in Sheet Music span the years 1838-1923 and primarily highlight women's emerging voices and suffrage efforts. The selection includes published rally songs and songsters (collections of poems meant to be sung) written and compiled by notable composers and suffragists, as well as music manuscripts submitted for copyright deposit by amateur musicians. Anti-suffragists raised voices in song as well, and popular music of the era echoed anti-suffrage sentiments with specific references to the movement. The Library of Congress preserves sheet music and songsters that represent suffragist voices, anti-suffrage views, and general societal angst at play throughout the women's suffrage movement, all of which are represented in this campaign. 

Sheet music publication was the primary means of disseminating 19th-century music and continued to boom through the early decades of the 20th century. The Library of Congress Music Division was established in 1896 in large part to manage and organize the overwhelming amount of sheet music received as copyright deposits. Much of Women’s Suffrage in Sheet Music was acquired this way, though a handful of pieces were gifted by individuals (including two donated by suffragist Sophonisba Breckinridge). These suffrage selections represent only a tiny fraction of the Music Division’s sheet music.

Content Advisory: Because of potentially offensive and racist language and views, which reflect both their time and circumstances, this transcription project may not suitable for all volunteers.

Instructions: The primary goal of transcribing sheet music text is keyword search of lyrics, subjects, and the creators and publishers of the work through the Library's website. Musical notation, performance instructions, and other markings are outside our scope. See the illustrated and downloadable Transcribing Sheet Music PDF for examples.

• Transcribe titles, lyrics, tempo markings (Moderato, allegro, allegretto, etc.), publication information, and ads.
• Transcribe text in the order it appears on the page (this may differ from the order in which it is performed). 
• Preserve line breaks. If a word is broken across a line or page, transcribe it intact on the initial line where it appears.
• Don’t transcribe musical notation - including time and key signatures or dynamic markings (f, p, cresc., dim., <, >, etc.)
• Don't transcribe hyphens (or melisma) within lyrics (even if broken across pages), to enable keyword search.
• Do transcribe the text of illustrated title pages.
• Do transcribe handwritten notes and Library of Congress cataloging stamps as marginalia.