Frances Willard was progressive for her time. She was a staunch supporter of the women's suffrage movement and the temperance movement. Born in the mid-1800’s she felt the full force of the constraints of her gender, but she refused to adhere to all the conventions set before her. One such act of strength and defiance was learning to ride a bicycle, an activity dominated by men. Although she had a fair amount of obstacles and impediments, one of which was her being ‘enwrapped in the long skirts that impeded every footstep’. Frances Willard withstood every hardship for several reasons. Willard’s first reason was the advice given by her physician to cure her poor health, “Live out of doors and take congenial exercise”. When faced with this counsel
