Are you a woman? Are you wearing pants?
If so, you may want to thank Emma Snodgrass. In 1852, young Emma Snodgrass (if that was even her real name), caused quite a stir in various cities along the east coast.
Any background on Emma Snodgrass is nearly impossible to find, as is whatever became of her after the “great pants pandemonium” of 1852. What little information we do find comes from speculation and rumors printed in the numerous ‘pants’ related articles that ran in newspapers across the country in late 1852 and early 1853.
It would seem that Emma’s father was a police officer in New York City. Her mother passed away in either late 1851 or early 1852. The passing of her mother impacted the 17-year-old so much that she felt the need to get away for a while… to spread her wings… in pants.
August 26th, 1852
The Baltimore Sun ran the first article containing the name “Emma Snodgrass”. She attempted to give her name as, “Emma W. Smith” but an officer found the Snodgrass name written inside of her clothing.
From the November 30th, 1852 edition of the New York Times,
“Miss Emma Snodgrass, a young woman of seventeen, belonging to New York, has a second time been taken into custody by the police of Boston for donning the breeches. The first time of her appearing in male apparel was, it will be remembered, when she applied for and obtained a situation as clerk at the clothing establishment of John Simmons & Co., Water street, from whence, on the discovery of her real sex, she was taken to the police office, and thence to the house of her father, a respectable city official in New York.”
Early December 1852
News outlets in places like Kentucky and Vermont were picking up on the whereabouts of the young lady in “breeches”.
The Insults Begin
Towards the middle of December, newspapers began making fun of the young lady, by putting words like “Master” and “He” in parenthesis. It was also reported that Snodgrass enjoyed cigars and chewing tobacco. Male minds were exploding throughout the country.
“The motives of the girl for persisting in such improper conduct have not transpired” – Boston Journal
December 29th saw Ms. Snodgrass arrested again, this time under the guise of “vagrancy.” The truth was, they didn’t know what to do with her. Why would a ‘pretty young thing’ want to dress in men’s clothing and participate in activities reserved for the manliest of men? She wasn’t begging. She wasn’t stealing. Snodgrass just didn’t like women’s clothing. In the minds of the police, the courts and ‘sensible’ people everywhere, she must have been crazy.
By the middle of January, 1853 Emma found herself in what she hoped would be a more accepting California. It wasn’t long however, before she was arrested and brought back to New York after a warrant was supposedly issued by her father.
New Year, Same Troubles
“The foolish girl, Emma Snodgrass, who goes about in virile toggery, was taken before the Court here, as a vagrant, a day or two ago. But it was proved that she did not beg nor misbehave herself, and that she payed her way. She was therefore let go — to pursue a wretched life of idleness and immorality.” – New York Times
An article that ran in an April, 1853 Fort Wayne, Indiana newspaper referred to Emma as a “practical Woman’s Rights girl.” It was the first instance of an actual compliment. The article also called her a good looking young man.
Last Know Whereabouts
The last time anyone would read about Emma’s actions was an article printed in various June of 1853 newspapers. It simply read, “It is stated that Emma Snodgrass has repented, gone home, taken off her breeches, and sworn eternal attachment to petticoats and propriety. This is to her credit.”
After that, she vanished… or at least became uninteresting to news reporters. In the following years however, there would be more and more reports of other young women following in Emma’s footsteps. She was an early pioneer for women’s rights and she likely never realized it.
Whether Emma Snodgrass was even her real name or just another alias, we may never know. Hopefully she went on to live a long, happy life wearing whatever she felt like wearing.
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