s ▁causes ▁at ▁a ▁time ▁of ▁suff rage . ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁and ▁education ▁Of ▁Scottish - I r ish ▁Protest ant ▁her itage , ▁Ele an or ▁Laura ▁Mc Main ▁was ▁born ▁on ▁March ▁ 2 , ▁ 1 8 6 8 , ▁on ▁a ▁farm ▁in ▁East ▁Bat on ▁Rou ge ▁Par ish , ▁Louisiana , ▁along ▁the ▁Am ite ▁River , ▁ 1 7 ▁miles ▁from ▁Bat on ▁Rou ge , ▁Louisiana . ▁Her ▁parents ▁were ▁Jacob ▁West ▁Mc Main ▁and ▁Jane ▁Joseph ine ▁Mc Main ▁( née ▁Wal sh ). ▁She ▁was ▁known ▁as ▁" N ell ie " ▁to ▁family ▁and ▁friends ▁during ▁her ▁youth . ▁As ▁a ▁young ▁girl , ▁the ▁family ▁re located ▁to ▁Bat on ▁Rou ge ▁so ▁that ▁her ▁father ▁could ▁serve ▁in ▁administrative ▁posts ▁at ▁Louisiana ▁State ▁University . ▁The ▁family ▁hom est ead ▁later ▁became ▁the ▁site ▁of ▁Our ▁Lady ▁of ▁the ▁Lake ▁San it arium . ▁Her ▁family ▁val ued ▁education ▁and ▁provided ▁young ▁Mc Main ▁with ▁a ▁private ▁school ▁education . ▁Her ▁parents ▁raised ▁her ▁as ▁an ▁Epis cop al ian . ▁Mc Main ▁briefly ▁served ▁as ▁a ▁teacher ▁in ▁Bat on ▁Rou ge ▁before ▁subsequently ▁re loc ating ▁to ▁New ▁Orleans ▁to ▁further ▁her ▁training ▁at ▁the ▁Free ▁Kinder g arten ▁Association , ▁an ▁Epis cop al ▁spons ored ▁effort ▁to ▁provide ▁innov ations ▁in ▁pre - school ▁education . ▁The ▁training ▁school ▁of ▁the ▁Free ▁Kinder g arten ▁Association ▁combined ▁with ▁the ▁Tr inity ▁Church ▁Mission ▁to ▁form