Mary was elected president of the National Dress Reform in 1866. Mary began dressing completely in men's clothing, from the top hat and bow tie to the trousers and shoes. She was proud of having been arrested several times for "impersonating a man." In 1869, Mary finally obtained a divorce from the state of New York. Two years later, he wrote his first book, "Hit," which was a combination of autobiography and commentary on divorce. He called for fairer laws so wives and children could escape unhappy families. In 1878, Mary wrote her second book, “Unmasked, or Science of Immortality,” about infidelity (Women of Courage). In 1880, Mary Walker's father died, leaving her Bunker Hill Farm. He lived here until his death, traveling from Oswego to Washington when necessary. She intended to use the farm as a colony to teach young single women agricultural and domestic skills before marriage. In April 1917, as World War I raged, he offered Kaiser Wilhelm II his land as a site for a German-American peace conference. Mary declared herself a candidate for Congress from Oswego in 1890. The following year, she campaigned for a seat in the U.S. Senate and, the following year, made her way to the Democratic National Convention