Jessie Ackermann (1857–1951) was an American social reformer, suffragist, temperance activist, and author. She is best known for her work as the second round-the-world missionary for the Woman's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU), a role in which she traveled extensively to organize local unions and advocate for women's suffrage and prohibition.
Early Life and Career Born in the United States, Ackermann became involved in the temperance movement through the WCTU. Her organizational skills led to her appointment as a "round-the-world missionary" by the organization's president, Frances Willard, succeeding Mary C. Leavitt in this capacity.
International Work Between 1889 and the early 1900s, Ackermann undertook multiple global tours. Her itinerary included extended stays in:
- Australia and New Zealand: She spent several years in the Australasian colonies (1891–1894, and later visits), playing a significant role in the federation of colonial WCTU branches into a national Australian organization. She advocated strongly for women's suffrage, which was achieved in New Zealand (1893) and South Australia (1894) during her tenure.
- Asia: She traveled to Japan, China, India, and Ceylon (Sri Lanka), establishing WCTU chapters and reporting on the social conditions of women.
- Europe and Africa: She conducted organizing work in the United Kingdom, Scandinavia, and South Africa.
Suffrage Advocacy Ackermann viewed temperance and suffrage as intrinsically linked. She argued that the vote was a necessary tool for women to achieve legal protection for the home and to enact prohibition laws. She testified before legislative bodies in various countries and collaborated with local suffrage leaders, including Kate Sheppard in New Zealand and Vida Goldstein in Australia.
Publications Ackermann documented her travels and observations in several books, which serve as primary sources for the history of the international women's movement in the late 19th century:
- Australia from a Woman's Point of View (1913)
- What Women Have Done with the Vote (1913)
- The World Through a Woman's Eyes (1922)
Later Life and Death In her later years, Ackermann resided in California, United States. She continued to write and speak on temperance and women's rights until her death in 1951 at the age of 94.
