Madeline Breckinridge was Kentucky's most influential woman. She was a decedent of prominent bluegrass families where she acquired her senses of noblesse oblige that pushed her to defend rights of women. She led women's suffrage movement and advocated for women voting rights in board, federal and state elections. She contributed towards an establishment of a system of juvenile justice. Her personal losses and physical struggles transformed her into an advocate for the disadvantaged.
Madeline influenced Kentucky in many ways. She was part of social change in Kentucky. Together with churches, she organized a settlement at Proctor. She formed Lexington Civic League in 1900 that built parks, public kindergartens, and recreational opportunities.
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Through the support of Lexington Civic League, she started a settlement in 1912 which was named after Robert Todd Lincoln. The school had classrooms for children during daytime and adults at night, gymnasium, cannery, swimming pools, community assembly hall and carpentry shop. The school served residents of Lexington and Irish immigrants (Hay, 2009).
She lobbied for the right of women to vote so that they could have a voice in political decisions. Women were allowed to participate in elections in 1912 because of her effort as leader of women associations (Wilson, 2011). She used tactics like suffrage marches and her oratory skills to gain support. During World War 1, it became hard for women to propagate their rights as the country was focused on war. She traversed the country to renew interest in women's rights.
From 1912 to 1920, she served as the president of Kentucky Equal Rights Association. She managed to have laws passed that recognized the rights of married women to make wills, to have equal guardianship of children, limiting working hours for women, having a female physician in mental hospitals and rights to enjoy earnings. She also participated in a campaign for Democratic Party throughout the country in 1920 and was a supporter of League of Nations (Johnson,