Flora Beach Burlingame

Path of Progress Flora Beach Burlingame

It's the late 1800s, and John Ogilvie Stevenson, pastor of the Congregational Church in Waterloo, Iowa, believes women are equal to men intellectually, and superior to men morally and spiritually. During a sermon on temperance, wherein he advocates laws to shut down the saloons, he is struck with the irony that his audiences are composed mostly of women--that segment of the citizenry who cannot vote. Thus begins his campaign for women's suffrage. A large portion of the public believes a woman's place is in the home, that she has no business in politics, and probably isn't smart enough to vote.

Every two years the Iowa state legislature considers putting an amendment on the ballot for a public vote on the issue and time after time it doesn't get that far. The Reverend John Stevenson never gives up. Through the triumphs and tragedies of his own personal life, he is determined to forge the path to progress.