Amelia Jenks Bloomer was born in
1818. She was a women’s rights advocate, social reformer and
temperance advocate. She married Dexter Bloomer, who encouraged her
to write for his newspaper. Later she wrote for her own periodical
about women's rights.
Among other things, she worked for more sensible dress for women and
recommended what was called the Bloomer Costume in 1849. Bloomer
believed that “pantalettes” were appropriate clothing for women.
These were baggy pants that narrowed at the ankles and were meant to
be worn under dresses. Bloomer advocated them because they both
preserved a woman’s decency and allowed her to participate in more
activities without having to worry about indecency. That is why
bloomer panties were named after her. Elizabeth Smith Miller
introduced the costume, but it was Amelia that gave bloomers the
name we still use today.
Later she established churches, helped pass suffrage legislation,
and she even founded the Soldier’s Age Society. In 1871, she became
the president of the Iowa Women Suffrage Society and helped pass a
law that put an end to the distinction between male and female
property rights. She petitioned congress to either end her taxation
or end the “political disabilities” that did not allow her an active
role in the government.