Elizabeth Cady Stanton   Speeches & Writing File    "The Bycicle Era"
                                                                                                     1890's      

The Bicycle Era.
Some self indulgent non-progressive 
people sit twirling their mustaches 
& waving their fans, with a
complacent smile over, this "fad"
as they choose to call this new
& wonderful style of locomotion 
They seem wholly oblivious
to the varied & most desirable
reforms the Bycicle is now
inaugurating.
1st. It is destined to give us
good roads all over the country.   
Clergymen will make excursions
with their wives & the deaconess in
their churches, hence they will 
preach in favor of good roads & 
outdoor exercises.  Lawyers with their 
clients, Physicians with their 
patients, Editors with their contributors, 
Legislators with their constituents 
artists, scientists, & philosophers.  
Teachers & professers with their friends 
[*324*]

2
& pupils, male & female, will 
[all] be on the wing & all
& alike clamor, write & legislate 
for good roads.
2nd.  It will entice women to 
spend more time in the open 
air,, to adopt a more rational 
style of dress; inspire them with 
more courage, skill, & self reliance,
& thus give new health, vigor &
brain power, & all the cardinal
virtues to the next generation.
3rd  The economic view of the 
Bycile is deeply interesting to the
financeer.  Horses, grooms, oats
hay, carriages, all will be supplanted with
the beguiling wheel, that lives
a pint of oil a [day] year & outstrips
the fleetest horse on the race
course.
4th.  The humanitarian view of 
the wheel, should recommend it to 
all philanthropists.  Now the laborers 
can ride to & fro, to their work six

3
days in the week & in the Parks
on Sunday, fathers carrying the
lunch basket, & [the] mother, the 
baby. The wheel is a missionary
of peace & good will., it teaches
democracy in politics, love & charity
in religion & equality in social
life without distinction of sex
or color. The 14th Amendment
of the National Constitution may
be considered as prophetic of the 
"Era of the wheel," "All persons
born & naturalized in the United States
& subject to the jurisdiction there of,
are citizens of the United States,
& of the State wherein they reside,
& may ride on the Bicycle on
any street of the metropolis, or
on any highway in the State."
When back in England, late
one Saturday night I was aroused
with a flood of light in my room,
looking out, the lawn was
[covered] with Bicycles their lamps
[*326*]

4
all burning. The whole party
on their way from London to
Winchester. On the invitation
of our host had stopped for
a midnight supper. So quiet
were they in all their movements
that but few in the house
heard their arrival or departure
that is one of the lessons the
Bicycle teaches, quietness
     This party were on their
way to attend service in
the old Winchester Cathedral
where the Bishop frequently
invites them. I wrote to
William Henry Blatch one of
the leading Cyclist in England
[to] who takes a long trip on
the continent every year
to send me some items for
this article. So I send you
his letter.
[*327*]

[*324 Manuscript of an article by Elizabeth. Cady Stanton*]
[*in a 8/2014 paper in the 1890 [?]*]
[*[6.7.]8*]
I don't think Popes or Prudes
will block the progress of the 
Bycicle. It is making new
conquests day by day & has
evidently come to stay.
Now if the women will dispense
with full skirts & the men
with full coat tails & all
sit up straight their appearance
on the Boulevard will be
more artistic & attractive
[Elizabeth Cady Stanton,]
& more in harmony with the
graceful pose & motion of the
Wheel.
Elizabeth Cady Stanton
[*328*]

Transcribed and reviewed by volunteers participating in the By The People project at crowd.loc.gov.