Toast to Isabella

[Washington, D. C.?]: [National Woman's Party?], 1929. A scarce pamphlet reprinting a speech made by influential suffragist and women's rights advocate Doris Stevens at a banquet of the Institut de Droit International held at Briarcliff Lodge on Columbus Day, 1929. In her speech, Stevens compares the lives of Hatshepsut, the first Egyptian Queen, whose jealous husband tried to erase her memory upon her death with Queen Isabella of Castile, who working in equality with her husband, King Ferdinand, financed Columbus' expedition and changed the course of history. Stevens' speech complimented that of her law teacher and mentor, James Scott Brown, who spoke on "The Discovery of America and Its Influence on International Law" (see, Amorosa, Rewriting the History of the Law of Nations: How James Brown Scott Made Francisco de Vitoria the Founder of International Law, p. 289). Although Stevens never finished a law degree, she gave her speech as the newly appointed, and first female, secretary of the Institut and in 1931 became the first female member of the American Institute of International Law. Her speech was reprinted in the National Woman's Party publication, "Equal Rights."

Stapled wrappers (4" x 8 ½"), 8 p. Staples rusty, else a Fine copy. Scarce. Not found in OCLC. There is no publication information, but it seems likely that the National Woman's Party issued this pamphlet.