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Table of Contents
The Famous Five, also known as The Valiant Five, were five prominent Canadian suffragists who advocated for women and children.
See the fact file below for more information on the Famous Five or alternatively, you can download our 23-page Famous Five worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.
Key Facts & Information
THE “PERSONS CASE”
- Before 1927, the role of some Canadian women (British/Canadian citizens) was limited to voting for candidates in many provinces, and they were not allowed to run or occupy any political position, especially in the Senate.
- On August 27, 1927, a petition to appoint a woman to the Senate of Canada and make provisions that would allow for the appointment of a woman were sent to the Governor General of Canada. It was signed by five women from Alberta.
- The petition arose from section 24 of the British North America Act of 1867, which referred to the interpretation of the word “persons” who are qualified for the position.
- The following year, the supreme court decided that the word “persons” in the British North America Act did not encompass women.
- The decision was overturned upon appeal on October 18, 1929, when the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council concluded that the term “persons” does encompass women.
- After the decision, women were legally recognized as persons and were no longer denied their rights.
- This became the stepping stone towards gender equality, with women now able to pursue legislative recourse through the Senate.
- The media dubbed the group the “Alberta Five”, and soon the “Famous 5”, as they came to represent an entire generation’s political activism, including the campaign for women’s suffrage.
EMILY MURPHY (March 14, 1868 – October 27, 1933)
- Emily Murphy was the first woman in the British Empire appointed to the office of Magistrate of the Edmonton Juvenile Court in 1916. She later became the magistrate of the newly created Women’s Court.
- Emily Murphy was a contributor of book reviews and articles to Canadian magazines and newspapers and adopted the pen name Janey Canuck.
- She published four popular books of personal sketches: The Impressions of Janey Canuck Abroad (1901); Janey Canuck in the West (1910); Open Trails (1912); and Seeds of Pine (1914).
- She also wrote The Black Candle (1922), which detailed her beliefs on race and drug use in Canada and strongly influenced the drug policy of the day.
- Emily organized women’s groups where housewives could meet and discuss concerns, including ownership of property. Through her, the Dower Act was passed, which would allow a woman legal rights to one third of her husband’s property.
- In 1919, she presided the Federated Women’s Institutes of Canada, passing a resolution for a female senator to be appointed.
- She was a candidate but was never appointed. However, the senate seat was still granted to the first woman senator, Cairine Wilson, in 1930.
- She was the initiator of the Persons Case and invited the other four female activists to join the cause in clarifying the BNA Act.
HENRIETTA EDWARDS (December 18, 1849 – November 10, 1931)
- Henrietta was a women’s rights activist, reformer, and artist who fought for women’s rights, education, work, and health.
- She helped found organizations aimed at improving the lives of women and was instrumental in passing Alberta’s Dower Act in 1917.
- Henrietta and her sister Amelia launched Woman’s Work in Canada, a monthly publication considered the first Canadian magazine for working women. It employed only women and trained them to print the publication themselves.
- She published two legal handbooks for women: Legal Status of Canadian Women (1908) and Legal Status of Women of Alberta (1916).
- Edwards campaigned for women’s rights to vote, organized campaigns, passed around petitions, and attended meetings.
- Eventually, women won the right to vote and hold provincial office in Alberta on April 19, 1916.
- She was a founding member of the Victorian Order of Nurses, a Red Cross leader, a member of the National Council of Women of Canada, and chairwoman of the Committee in Law in the National Council of Women for over 35 years.
NELLIE McCLUNG (October 20, 1873 – September 1, 1951)
- Novelist, legislator, prohibitionist, and suffragette, Nellie helped Manitoba women win the right to vote and continued the battle in Alberta after arriving in Edmonton in 1914.
- She was elected to the Alberta Legislature as an opposition Liberal in 1921.
- She was the first woman on the CBC Board of Governors and was a representative to the League of Nations.
- Through her activism, the issues of temperance, anti-war efforts, labor, and dower rights were among her most important contributions.
- She was active in many organizations and founded the Winnipeg Political Equality League – addressing educational and social issues, including factory working conditions – as well as the Federated Women’s Institutes of Canada and the Women’s Institute of Edmonton.
- In 1921, she served one term to the Alberta legislature as an MLA in Edmonton for the Liberal Party.
LOUISE McKINNEY (September 22, 1868 – July 10, 1931)
- Louise was the first woman elected to a legislature in the British Empire and was sworn into the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1917 to 1921.
- She supported temperance, education, stronger liquor control, government ownership of grain elevators and flour mills, women’s property rights, and the adoption of the Dower Act.
- She was a founder of the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union in Alberta and the West and served the organization for over 22 years.
- Louise fought against alcohol consumption and the “disabilities laid on women” and played an important role in bringing Alberta women the right to vote in 1916.
- In 1939, Louise was deemed a Person of National Historic Significance by the government of Canada.
IRENE PARLBY (January 9, 1868 – July 12, 1965)
- Irene was a Canadian women’s farm leader, activist, and politician who helped found the first women’s local of the United Farmers of Alberta.
- In 1921, she was elected to the Alberta legislature and received a cabinet post in the United Farmers of Alberta government.
- She was the second woman in the British Empire to hold ministerial rank, and she did so until 1935.
- Irene also helped push through 18 bills to improve women and children’s welfare, and she also advocated to improve public health care services and establish municipal hospitals, as well as mobile medical and dental clinics.
- In October 2009, the Senate voted Irene Parlby and the rest of Famous Five as Canada’s first “honorary senators”.
FAMOUS FIVE LEGACY
- Every year since 2009, when the Famous Five women were posthumously named honorary senators, the Famous 5 Foundation hosts a “Persons’ Day” celebration. This celebration takes place every October 18 to commemorate and honor the women of the past, present, and future.
- From 2004–2012, they were imprinted on the $50 bill, becoming the first identifiable women — with the exception of the Queen — to appear on Canadian currency.
Famous Five Worksheets
This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about the Famous Five across 23 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Famous Five worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about the Famous Five, also known as The Valiant Five, which were five prominent Canadian suffragists who advocated for women and children.
Complete List Of Included Worksheets
- Famous Five Facts
- Women of the Past
- Modern Women
- Women in Position
- Famous Five Careers
- News Feature
- She Said…
- What Should Be Done?
- The Icon
- Maze to Empowerment
- Gender Equality
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Link will appear as Famous Five Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, March 4, 2021
Use With Any Curriculum
These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.