Over February – March 2024, WCIA have been ‘Tweeting from the Twenties’ – through blog posts and social media (via Twitter/ X and Facebook), retracing the steps recounted by ‘Annie’s Diary – the little black book kept by Wales’ Women’s Peace Appeal delegation leader Annie Hughes Griffiths – as they embarked on their 2 month ‘Peace Tour’ of the United States between 2nd February and 29th March 1924.
Twitter posts are every few days and brief, highlighting specific moments as they happened over the ambitiously packed travel schedule of our 1924 Peacemakers. Facebook posts offer ‘curated highlights’ and themes from each week of the tour. Where possible, posts are illustrated using archival materials from The National Library of Wales, Temple of Peace and online archives available with copyright permissions or as public commons.
Academi Heddwch and WCIA are grateful to Dr Eirlys Barker and colleagues involved with Heddwch Nain US for their tremendous input in telling the wider story that surrounded the American tour; and to the Kotschnig Family for sharing letters by Elined Prys, Annie’s colleague on the 1924 peace delegation (who went on to settle in the US).
Link here to view Timeline of key dates from the American Peace Tour as recorded through ‘Annie’s Diary’. Scroll down to view:
- WCIA Centenary Feature Articles for each week of the American Peace Tour
- #AnniesDiary100 #OnThisDay Social Media posts and threads on Twitter and Facebook (bringing together links to all posts)
- Rollover boxes with links to useful resources for schools, historians / researchers and community groups
WCIA Centenary Feature Articles for each week of the American Peace Tour
#WomensPeacePetition 1924 Tour / 2024 – Social Media Posts / Links
The reference table below offers an insight into the postings planned, and archives materials identified tfor each week / stage of the American Peace Tour
Date, Location, Annie’s Diary links | ||
London Euston 2nd February 1924 (page 1, pp 2-3 – PCW images 3-4) | WCIA Facebook 1 Feb (Eng) WCIA Facebook 1 Feb (Cym) | 1 Feb Twitter Thread (Eng 1) 1 Feb Twitter Thread (Cym 1) Diary Quotes (2) Diary Quotes (3) |
Liverpool Docks & Queenstown, Ireland 2nd-3rd February 1924 (pp 4-5, pp 6-7 – PCW images 5-6) | WCIA Facebook 2 Feb (Eng) WCIA Facebook 2 Feb (Cym) | 2 Feb Twitter Thread (Eng 1) Press Quotes (2) 2 Feb Twitter Cymraeg (Cym 1) 2 Feb Twitter Cymraeg (Cym 2) 3 Feb Twitter Thread (Eng 2) |
Transatlantic Voyage 4th-11th February 1924 (pp 8-9, pp 10-11 -PCW images 7-8) | WCIA Facebook 8 Feb (Eng) WCIA Facebook 8 Feb (Cym) | 8 Feb Twitter Thread & Quotes (English) 8 Feb Twitter Thread (Cymraeg) |
Arrival in New York 11th February 1924 (pp 12-13, pp 14-15 – PCW images 9-10 P9 | WCIA Facebook 12 February (Cynmraeg) WCIA Facebook, 12 February (English) 11 Feb, Women’s University Club + Belle Barouch & Florence Tuttle 12 Feb, lunch History Round Table + Harriet Burton Laidlaw, Hilary Taft & Mrs Douglas Robinson 13 Feb, tea with Crolys Family 14 Feb – English Speaking Union Club 15 Feb – Town Hall luncheon + Mrs Damrosch 16 Feb – Foreign AII Association Lunch + Ruth Morgan, Charles Levermore 17 Feb – Sunday Church Service with Harry Emerson Fosdick 18 Feb – League of Women Voters | 12 Feb Twitter Thread |
Petition Handover @ The Biltmore, NY 19 February 1924 P10, Welsh press diary | WCIA Facebook 19 February (Cymraeg) WCIA Facebook 19 March (English) 19th Feb 1924 – Biltmore Hotel American Women’s Luncheon, Annie & Elined speeches + Harriet Burton Laidlaw, Carrie Chapman Catt, Ruth Morgan, Foorence Tuttle, Eleanor Roosevelt | 19 Feb Twitter Thread |
To Washington P12 | 20th Feb – train to Washington DC. American Association of University Women club W’ton dinner and presentations + LP Morgan, Grace Abbott | |
The White House 21-24 February 1924 | WCIA Facebook 21 February 21st Feb – White House + President Calvin Coolidge, Secretary CE Hughes, Eastmen, Abrahams Then League of Women Voters 22nd Feb – sightseeing, Arlington Cemetary, Woodrow Wilson’s Tomb, Lincoln Memorial, Smithsonian Institute + Mrs La Follette Mary Ellis leaves peace delegation to return home to HMI Schools role in Wales 23rd Feb – Farewell from Ruth Morgan, Est of American Women’s National Council for Prevention of War | 21 Feb Twitter Thread |
Chicago 24-29 February 1924 P15 | WCIA Facebook 26 February 24th Feb – Train Washington DC to Chicago via NYC – brother David @ Chicago Field Museum of Natural History & wife Abbie. 25th Feb – Relaxing; Interview with Mr Rees from ‘The Druid’ periodical 26th Feb – Dean of Women’s Colleges Dinner. Talk + Prof Merriam & Mina Kerr 27th – Sightseeing in Chicago | 26 Feb Twitter Thread |
St David’s Day on the Union Pacific 1 March 1924 | WCIA Facebook 29 February 28th Feb – Overnight Union Pacific train departure from Chicago 29th Feb – crosiing the Prairies of Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska, Colorado, Omaha, Rock Springs and to Morgan, Utah for Ogden Canyon. 1st March – Break to see Ogden Canyon; Eve train to Salt Lake City – no welcome due to St David’s Day celebrations having finished! | 29 Feb Twitter Thread |
Salt Lake City 2 March 1924 P17 | 2nd March 1924 – Visit to Mormon Tabernacle + William Williams State senator, Mr James + British Vice Consul, Tom Hughes Pullman train to Sacramento | 29 Feb Twitter |
San Francisco 3-7 March 1924 P20 | WCIA Facebook 6 March 3rd Marfch 1924 – Ferry from Oakland to SF, Ramona Hotel + D Hughes and PL Roberts (diary says PJ) 4th Mar – interviews, Chronicle, Golden Gate, Presidio, Museum, sightseeing, museum, + PL Roberts 5th March – drive, Palo Alto, Stanford University + Roberts, Tatlock 6th Mar – day missing in Annie’s Diary 7th Mar – interviews. Welsh chapel address by Annie (see digitised advertising flyer) + Rev Jones of the Welsh Church | 6 March Twitter Thread |
Los Angeles 8-12 March 1924 P23 | WCIA Facebook, 8 March WCIA Internatioal Women’s Day Post, 8 March 8th March – train to LA, arrived 8.30, Gates Hotel, Interview 9th – Evergreen Cemetery, Alhambra, Pasadena, Huntington. LA Welsh Chapels talk. Trip with Mrs Williams and Mrs Morgan. JM Saunders’ grave. 10th Mar – sightseeing to Long Beach, studios, Venice Chinese food, Long Beach with Dr Jones. 11th Mar – Prior to train departure LA to Williams Annie given anonymous letter to “get out of town”. NB – Annie got dates mixed in diary – jumps from Sun 9th to Mon 11th | 8 March Twitter 8 March IWD Twitter Feature |
Grand Canyon 13-14 March 1924 P25 | WCIA Facebook 14 March Sightseeing – Grand Canyon and Hopi House (Indian Reserve) | 14 March Twitter |
Chicago II 15-16 March 1924 P26 | ||
Niagara 17 March 1924 | Sightseeing Annie slips in ice tunnel hurting her ankle. | 14 March Twitter |
Utica 18-19 March 1924 | Many engagements with Welsh diasporta communities in Utica. | |
New York II 19-22 March 1924 P28 | WCIA Facebook 21 March 2024 (includes Utica + New York) Reunited with Elined Prys at Women’s University Club, following her travels. Many engagements with ‘society women’ Ruth Morgan and colleagues commit to a Conference on the Cuase and Cure of War’. Engagement of Elined Prys to Walter Kotschnig Wedding of Leila Megane & Osborne Roberts | 22 March Twitter Thread |
American Sendoff 21 March 1924 | Grand ‘sendoff’ at the Biltmore Hotel for the ‘League of Nations Non Partisan Dinner’ attended by 600 members – Annie’s describes her finale speech as ‘Play Up Wales!’ | |
RMS Olympic to Southampton 22-29 March 1924 P31, P32 | WCIA Facebook 22 March Departure of RMS Olympic (sister ship to Titanic) from New York Harbour, marred by a collision with the Bermuda Steamer Fort St George. Annie ill for much of the Transatlantic Crossing homewards -sparse diary entries. Last entry on 28 March prior as they approached UK soil. WCIA Facebook 29 March Arrival at Southampton Docks, and the Southern Railway ‘Boat Train’ home to London. Legacy – what happened next? | 22 March Twitter 29 March x / Twitter |