Lizzie Borden Society Forum

Since we're in the middle of election season right now I found myself wondering about the politics of the Borden family--especially Lizzie.

I know something about her positions on some issues of the day--at least the ones she openly espoused. For example, it's said she was a member of the Women's Christian Temperance Union (I think that's the correct name!)--anyway it was a nationwide effort by women to persuade the menfolk to abstain from Demon Rum and its sinful alcoholic offspring such as beer, wine, whiskey etc. For quite some time this was a very active movement and lots of women prevailed upon their fathers, husbands, brothers and sons to "sign the Pledge" to abstain from . How many men ended up breaking that pledge is another matter altogether!

Another fact I know about her is that, while this wasn't strictly speaking a political issue of the day, Lizzie was very fond of animals and in fact left a large part of her inheritance to local animal welfare societies.

Throughout most of Lizzie's life, American women didn't have the vote. I've never heard anything to suggest that Lizzie was a suffragette--you know, one of those uppity women who marched around carrying signs that said "Votes for Women!" (Suffragettes were not generally popular, since obviously only men have the mental capacity to understand enough of the issues to vote. ROFLMAO!!!)

If she had been born several decades earlier (pre-Civil War), Lizzie very likely would have been an abolitionist. But we'll never know whether she would have been actively involved in the abolitionist movement or just in general agreement with it. I don't know whether she had any interests at all in politics.

Andrew was the only member of the immediate family who could vote (being male), but I've never heard anything about his politics either. Apparently his only interests were acquiring money and hanging onto every penny of it!

Does anyone know any more about this? (And no, I am not looking for a political debate--I'm already sick of them!!)

Well, if Lizzie had any political views, she probably absorbed them at her father's knee. As a banker and a director of several mills, it seems most likely that Andrew was a Republican, supporting measures that would protect and encourage American businesses and opposing organized labor and government regulation of industry.

It's tempting to think that Lizzie's notoriety and outcast status in Fall River after the trial could have led her to empathize with others who had been disadvantaged by society (women, immigrants, minority groups) and to support more liberal political ideals, but I really don't think there's any evidence to support such an idea. While she was generous enough in contributing to charities, there's nothing to indicate that she had any kind of a social conscience or held views that differed from most of the people in her class in that era. She was a substantially wealthy woman (thanks to Andrew's business acumen) and if she cared at all about politics, she probably routinely supported politicians who would protect her interests.

I think she had political views, but maybe kept them to herself. Back then, women, were just suppose to look pretty and take care of the kids and house. And, I think you are right, she probably her any kind of politics from her father. She did support the womens vote movement, so I think she had an interest.