Petition Collection (#5)

RUSSO-JAPANESE WAR, 1904. The Blood-Written Petition, 1904

JOHN TRUMBULL: PROPOSAL. John Trumbulls proposal to raise funds to install a print of his painting of the Declaration of Independence in the Rotunda of the Capitol

MIDDLESEX PETITION, 1769. Frontispiece to the Middlesex Petition, 1769, showing a deputation presenting the petition to King George III

SIEUR DE LA SALLE (1643-1687). French explorer. La Salle petitioning Louis XIV for permission to explore the Mississippi, 1678. Painting by Howard Pyle, 1905

COPYRIGHT PETITION, 1880. Petition submitted by prominent American authors and publishers in support of a proposed treaty for international copyright, 1880. The legislation was approved in 1891

LIQUOR TAX CARTOON, 1796. The Wine Duty, or The Triumph of Bacchus and Silenus with John Bulls Remonstrance. John Bull petitioning William Pitt and Henry Dundas to lighten the liquor tax

WOMENs RIGHTS MOVEMENT. Petition, signed by Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, of the National Womens Suffrage Association to Congress, 1873

VIRGINIA: PETITION, 1785. Petition from Virginians living west of the Allegheny Mountains, submitted to the Virginia General Assembly, 1785

CITIZENSHIP PETITION, 1914. A petition for American citizenship obtained by a Polish immigrant for his ten-year-old daughter in New York City in 1914

WCTU Marchers
circa 1909: Members of the Womens Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) who marched on Washington DC to present a petition supporting prohibition. (Photo by Topical Press Agency/Getty Images)

Capitol Petitions
Suffragettes representing nearly every state in the United States of America ascending the steps of the Senate in Washington, to present petitions demanding equal rights for women

Hands shoot into the air to signify assent by St. Pancras tenants to the resolution condemning Tory rent policy and determination to continue the struggle against high rents

The blind men see the premier 1 May 1920

Agricultural Labourers Union meeting in Farringdon Street, London, 1877. Led by Joseph Arch and inaugurated at Leamington in 1872, the movement quickly spread

Humble Petition and Advice 1657. English constitutional document making Oliver Cromwell king in all but name 1657. This was Englands second and last written constitution

petition by dogs. engraving 1855

Petition addressed to Republic of Lucca by Luigi Boccherini (1743-1805)
Luigi Boccherini (1743-1805), Petition addressed to the Republic of Lucca

Signature page of the Olive Branch Petition, adopted by the Continental Congress in July 1775
OLIVE BRANCH PETITION, 1775. Signature page of the Olive Branch Petition, adopted by the Continental Congress in July 1775, to prevent further conflict with Great Britain. The petition was rejected

First page of the Olive Branch Petition, adopted by the Continental Congress in July 1775 to prevent further conflict
OLIVE BRANCH PETITION, 1775. First page of the Olive Branch Petition, adopted by the Continental Congress in July 1775 to prevent further conflict with Great Britain. The petition was rejected

DIX LETTER, 1850. A letter from Dorothea Dix to President Millard Fillmore in 1850, held by Dr. Charles Snyder. Photograph, 1969

JANE JACOBS (1916-2006). American born Canadian writer and activist. Jacobs at a press conference at the Lions Head Restaurant in Greenwich Village, New York City, 5 December 1961

FRENCH REVOLUTION, 1792. French petitioners taking over the Assembly during the French Revolution, 1792

EMPRESS MATILDA (1102-1167). Matilda or Maud. English princess. Consort of Holy Roman Emperor Henry V. The Empress Matilda, having imprisoned King Stephen of England at Lincoln in February 1141

JAMES II (1633-1701). King of England. English bishops presenting their petition (to be relieved from reading his declaration) to James II at St. James, 1688. 18th century English copper engraving

Home Office Petition
Home Office Criminal Petitions, 1839-1854 Date: 1839-1854

Before and After the Election
Before the election, the Candidate is begging the voter on his knees for his vote. Following the election, it is the voter who is on his knees, petitioning his (now) Member of Parliament

Conscription Act of 1917
Some 5000 women appeared outside New York City Hall on 16th June 1917 to present an anti-registration petition to the mayor. Two women rioters are arrested for fighting with police

Kew Petition
Agitation for the earlier opening of Kew Gardens - demonstration at Cumberland Gate

Citzens of Ghent
An interview between the citizens of Ghent and the Earl of Flanders

Fable / Frogs & Stork
FROGS PETITION JUPITER FOR A KING: the frogs think they should be ruled, so Jupiter sends a log; some complain, so Jupiter sends a stork which eats them all up

PETITION MONGERS in full cry to St Stephens!! Beware of wolves in sheeps cloathing

Brave Swiss Miss
During the Schwabenkrieg (war with Swabia) a little Swiss miss, bearer of a petition to emperor Maximilian, answers back bravely at badgering courtiers

Animal Rebellion - 1
The tiger presents a petition to the lion, King of Beasts, but it is refused

Hungarians & Franz Josef
Hungarian magnates present a petition to Franz Josef

Wwi / Occupied Lille
In occupied Lille, the French citizens refuse to sign a German peace petition

Fable / King Stork & Frogs
FROGS PETITION JUPITER FOR A KING: King Stork, sent to the frogs who complained they had no proper ruler, eats them all up

Curry&rice / Petition
The magistrate hearing a petition from villagers

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"Voices Unsilenced: The Power of Petition" In the annals of history, few acts have proven as influential and empowering as the act of petitioning. From Emmeline Pankhurst's valiant efforts to secure women's suffrage to the Chartists' demand for political reform, petitions have been a catalyst for change throughout time. One iconic moment etched in our collective memory is that fateful day on May 21, 1914. Emmeline Pankhurst, a fearless English woman-suffrage advocate, stood outside Buckingham Palace with unwavering determination. Her goal? To present a petition to King George V himself. Yet her noble endeavor was met with resistance; she was arrested amidst the echoes of her plea for equality. This black-and-white photograph captures the essence of that historic event—a testament to Mrs. Pankhurst's unwavering spirit and her fight against societal norms that sought to confine women within narrow boundaries. But this struggle did not begin or end with Mrs. Pankhurst alone. Centuries earlier, Gerrard Winstanley penned a letter on behalf of the Diggers at St. , imploring Lord Fairfax for justice and land rights during an era marked by social inequality. The fight for equal rights extended beyond gender disparities too—coal miners fought tirelessly alongside women and children in their quest for fair treatment and improved working conditions during coal crises in England. Even ancient civilizations recognized the power behind petitions—the Stela of User from Egypt stands tall as evidence that people have long used written appeals to voice their grievances and seek redress from those in power. From one generation to another, we witness how ordinary individuals can come together under common causes—such as campaigning for more nursery places or demanding jobs—as exemplified by children advocating through petitions or participants marching en masse during People's March for Jobs in 1981, and are not merely ink on paper—they are the embodiment of hope, unity, and resilience.