New York City, NY
New York City, NY
Posted on Jan 21, 2018
In 1908 NYC Women Were Prohibited From Smoking In Public
2.39K
23
8
10
10
0
Almost sounds like politics today . I only highlighted the history of this event. There are other links below that go into more depth.
On January 21st, 1908 (that's 110 years ago today), the Sullivan Ordinance was passed in New York City, which made it illegal for women to smoke in public... because "Bowery moralist and political chieftan" Little Tim Sullivan thought it was gross, or something. At the time, he stated "he can get away with his ordinance even if it does infringe slightly upon woman's inherent and constitutional rights." Naturally, not a lot of women took this edict seriously, and two weeks later Mayor George McClellan vetoed it. Here's a little look back at its short run...
On the day of its passing, the NY Times wondered in their headline: "Will Ladies Rebel?", and reported:
"After today it will be against the law for a hotel or restaurant proprietor, or any one else managing or owning a public place to allow women to smoke in public. After a brief hearing yesterday the Committee on Laws of the Board of Aldermen unanimously approved the Sullivan anti-smoke ordinance which will be reported today and will pass the Board of Aldermen without the slightest doubt."
So this put the business owners at fault should a woman be spotted smoking in their establishment, but what about the lady at the end of the cigarette? Reportedly one woman, Katie Mulcahey, was the only person to ever be cited for breaking the ordinance—and though it did not specify fines, or any actions against the woman smoking, she was fined $5 and then arrested for refusing to pay.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sullivan_Ordinance
Timothy Sullivan
Political party Democratic
Timothy Daniel Sullivan (July 23, 1862 – August 31, 1913) was a New York politician who controlled Manhattan's Bowery and Lower East Side districts as a prominent leader within Tammany Hall. He was euphemistically known as "Dry Dollar", as the "Big Feller", and, later, as "Big Tim" (because of his physical stature). He amassed a large fortune as a businessman running vaudeville and legitimate theaters, as well as nickelodeons, race tracks and athletic clubs. Sullivan in 1911 pushed through the legislature the Sullivan Act, an early gun control measure. He was a strong supporter of organized labor and women's suffrage. The newspapers depicted Big Tim as the spider in the center of the web, overstating his criminal activities and his control over gambling in the city. Welch says that, "assigning the role of vice lord to Sullivan gave Tammany's enemies a weapon to be wielded in every municipal election between 1886 and 1912.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timothy_Sullivan
https://ephemeralnewyork.wordpress.com/tag/sullivan-ordinance/
https://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/12/18/big-tim-sullivan-tammany-kingmaker/
@ col mikel COL Mikel J. Burroughs @ ltc stephen LTC Stephen C. @ ltc stephen LTC Stephen F. @ ltc frank LTC (Join to see) @ ltc wayne LTC Wayne Brandon @ maj william Maj William W. 'Bill' Price @ @ capt tom Capt Tom Brown @ capt marty Maj Marty Hogan @ smsgt doc SMSgt Minister Gerald A. "Doc" Thomas @ tsgt joe TSgt Joe C. @ sra christopher SrA Christopher B. @ msg andrew MSG Andrew White @ sfc george SFC George Smith @ ssg david SSG David Andrews @ sgt jim SGT Jim Arnold @ sgt randy Sgt Randy Wilber @ sgt david SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth @ sp5 mark SP5 Mark Kuzinski @ cpl dave CPL Dave Hoover @ spc margaret SPC Margaret Higgins
On January 21st, 1908 (that's 110 years ago today), the Sullivan Ordinance was passed in New York City, which made it illegal for women to smoke in public... because "Bowery moralist and political chieftan" Little Tim Sullivan thought it was gross, or something. At the time, he stated "he can get away with his ordinance even if it does infringe slightly upon woman's inherent and constitutional rights." Naturally, not a lot of women took this edict seriously, and two weeks later Mayor George McClellan vetoed it. Here's a little look back at its short run...
On the day of its passing, the NY Times wondered in their headline: "Will Ladies Rebel?", and reported:
"After today it will be against the law for a hotel or restaurant proprietor, or any one else managing or owning a public place to allow women to smoke in public. After a brief hearing yesterday the Committee on Laws of the Board of Aldermen unanimously approved the Sullivan anti-smoke ordinance which will be reported today and will pass the Board of Aldermen without the slightest doubt."
So this put the business owners at fault should a woman be spotted smoking in their establishment, but what about the lady at the end of the cigarette? Reportedly one woman, Katie Mulcahey, was the only person to ever be cited for breaking the ordinance—and though it did not specify fines, or any actions against the woman smoking, she was fined $5 and then arrested for refusing to pay.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sullivan_Ordinance
Timothy Sullivan
Political party Democratic
Timothy Daniel Sullivan (July 23, 1862 – August 31, 1913) was a New York politician who controlled Manhattan's Bowery and Lower East Side districts as a prominent leader within Tammany Hall. He was euphemistically known as "Dry Dollar", as the "Big Feller", and, later, as "Big Tim" (because of his physical stature). He amassed a large fortune as a businessman running vaudeville and legitimate theaters, as well as nickelodeons, race tracks and athletic clubs. Sullivan in 1911 pushed through the legislature the Sullivan Act, an early gun control measure. He was a strong supporter of organized labor and women's suffrage. The newspapers depicted Big Tim as the spider in the center of the web, overstating his criminal activities and his control over gambling in the city. Welch says that, "assigning the role of vice lord to Sullivan gave Tammany's enemies a weapon to be wielded in every municipal election between 1886 and 1912.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timothy_Sullivan
https://ephemeralnewyork.wordpress.com/tag/sullivan-ordinance/
https://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/12/18/big-tim-sullivan-tammany-kingmaker/
@ col mikel COL Mikel J. Burroughs @ ltc stephen LTC Stephen C. @ ltc stephen LTC Stephen F. @ ltc frank LTC (Join to see) @ ltc wayne LTC Wayne Brandon @ maj william Maj William W. 'Bill' Price @ @ capt tom Capt Tom Brown @ capt marty Maj Marty Hogan @ smsgt doc SMSgt Minister Gerald A. "Doc" Thomas @ tsgt joe TSgt Joe C. @ sra christopher SrA Christopher B. @ msg andrew MSG Andrew White @ sfc george SFC George Smith @ ssg david SSG David Andrews @ sgt jim SGT Jim Arnold @ sgt randy Sgt Randy Wilber @ sgt david SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth @ sp5 mark SP5 Mark Kuzinski @ cpl dave CPL Dave Hoover @ spc margaret SPC Margaret Higgins
In 1908 NYC Women Were Prohibited From Smoking In Public
Posted from gothamist.com
American History
New York City
Corruption
Official
Political Organization
Posted 7 y ago
Responses: 5
5
5
0
Thanks SGT John " Mac " McConnell for reminding us that 110 years ago women were prohibited from smoking in New York City. While this ordnance only lasted two weeks, the irony is that the ban if enacted would have probably increased the life expectancy of the women and perhaps made healthy enough to survive the 1918 influenza epidemic a decade later.
It is noteworthy to me that the band was on smoking and not all forms of tobacco such as chewing tobacco.
Since he was a strong supporter of organized labor and women's suffrage I expect he had a high view of women and was not being arbitrarily discriminatory :-)
FYI COL Mikel J. Burroughs LTC Stephen C. LTC Wayne Brandon LTC Bill Koski Maj Bill Smith, Ph.D. Capt Seid Waddell Capt Tom Brown Maj Marty Hogan MSG Andrew White SFC William Farrell SSgt Robert Marx PO1 William "Chip" Nagel SPC Margaret Higgins MSgt Jason McClish AN Christopher Crayne SPC Tom DeSmet SGT Charles H. Hawes SGT (Join to see)
It is noteworthy to me that the band was on smoking and not all forms of tobacco such as chewing tobacco.
Since he was a strong supporter of organized labor and women's suffrage I expect he had a high view of women and was not being arbitrarily discriminatory :-)
FYI COL Mikel J. Burroughs LTC Stephen C. LTC Wayne Brandon LTC Bill Koski Maj Bill Smith, Ph.D. Capt Seid Waddell Capt Tom Brown Maj Marty Hogan MSG Andrew White SFC William Farrell SSgt Robert Marx PO1 William "Chip" Nagel SPC Margaret Higgins MSgt Jason McClish AN Christopher Crayne SPC Tom DeSmet SGT Charles H. Hawes SGT (Join to see)
(5)
(0)
5
5
0
That is interesting- now over 100 years later many places ban smoking in public. How times change. Thanks for sharing and good morning brother
SMSgt Lawrence McCarter SrA Christopher Wright Sgt Randy Wilber SGT Gregory Lawritson Cpl (Join to see) Lt Col Scott Shuttleworth LTC (Join to see) MSG Frederick Otero SFC Pete Kain SSG David Andrews LCDR (Join to see) PO1 Tony Holland SCPO Morris Ramsey SPC Margaret Higgins SGT Jim Arnold SFC William H. PO1 William "Chip" Nagel SGT Charles H. Hawes SFC Craig Dalen CPL Dave Hoover
SMSgt Lawrence McCarter SrA Christopher Wright Sgt Randy Wilber SGT Gregory Lawritson Cpl (Join to see) Lt Col Scott Shuttleworth LTC (Join to see) MSG Frederick Otero SFC Pete Kain SSG David Andrews LCDR (Join to see) PO1 Tony Holland SCPO Morris Ramsey SPC Margaret Higgins SGT Jim Arnold SFC William H. PO1 William "Chip" Nagel SGT Charles H. Hawes SFC Craig Dalen CPL Dave Hoover
(5)
(0)
2
2
0
SGT John " Mac " McConnell thanks for sharing and now noone can smoke in public buildings and only certain spot on the street in some places in New York, it all comes back around.
(2)
(0)
Read This Next
Continue with Facebook 
Continue with Google