#AnniesDiary100 Feb – March 2024: Retracing the America Peace Tour of 1924, #OnThisDay in 2024

Annie Hughes Griffiths, Chair of the Welsh League of Nations Union and leader of the 1924 Women’s Peace Delegatio to America

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

Annie Hughes Griffiths holding the 1924 women’s memorial, as painted for the PAX Exhibition in Aberystwyth Arts Centre, 2023
Annie’s signature on the inside cover of her diary, on the day it was rediscovered among the archives of the National Library in 2019.

#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 FacebookTwitter
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 P10Welsh 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  P1220th 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

Map of the #WomensPeacePetition #AmericaPeaceTour

1 – New York; 2 – Washington; 3 Chicago; 4 Salt Lake City; 5 San Francisco; 6 Los Angeles; 7 Grand Canyon; 8 Colorado; 9 Niagara Falls; 10 Utica; then back to New York (1)