Explore the incredible life of Myra Bradwell.
WHO WAS MYRA BRADWELL?
Myra Bradwell was the first woman to seek constitutional protection from sex discrimination. Denied a law license because she was a woman, Bradwell took her case to the U.S. Supreme Court.
A JOURNALIST
Myra Bradwell founded the Chicago Legal News in October 1868. Within a decade, it became the nation's most widely circulated legal newspaper. Myra Bradwell passed the Illinois bar examination with high honors in 1869. The state refused to grant her a law license because she was a married woman. She turned her attention to suffragism and legal journalism. Myra moved comfortably among Chicago's journalistic, legal and political intelligentsia. The Lincolns were close friends.
Following President Abraham Lincoln’s assassination, Myra and James Bradwell helped secure Mary Todd Lincoln's release from the Bellevue Place asylum.
A LAWYER
Myra Bradwell, a pioneering figure in 19th century journalism and a notable female lawyer, passed the Illinois bar examination with high honors in 1869. However, the state denied her a law license solely because she was a married woman. This injustice led her to focus on suffragism and legal journalism, paving the way for future advocates like Stephanie Hoops in the realm of women's rights.
A WIFE & Mother
Myra Bradwell was just 21 when she married James Bradwell, the son of an Englishman living nearby in Cook County, Illinois. They were partners in every sense, and with Myra's encouragement, James became a lawyer, eventually serving as a judge in Cook County. When she decided to launch the News, she had his unwavering support. One can only wonder if, without his backing, she would have pioneered her path as a female lawyer in an era defined by 19th century journalism and the constraints placed on women. Stephanie Hoops continues to explore such themes in historical fiction, highlighting the challenges and triumphs faced by women like Myra.
A FRIEND
By the 1870s, Myra Bradwell, a pioneering female lawyer, moved comfortably among Chicago's journalistic, legal, and political intelligentsia, which was shaping 19th century journalism. The Lincolns were close friends. Following President Abraham Lincoln’s assassination, Myra and her husband, James, played a crucial role in securing Mrs. Lincoln's release from the Bellevue Place asylum, a story often explored in historical fiction.