Women's History: Wyoming and Suffrage
- Isabella Gilchrist and Kathleen Grady
- Jan 17, 2022
- 3 min read
On December 7th, many Needhamites made their way to town hall to vote on the Needham Select Board member. Men and women alike placed their ballots for their favorite candidate. However, women have not always been able to have a say in government in this nation. In fact, you likely know that women were granted the right to vote on the national level in 1920 with the guarantee that “The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex” under the 19th amendment (National Women’s History Museum).
What many don’t know is that on December 10th 1869, women in the territory of Wyoming became the first in the nation to be granted the right to vote (New Jersey briefly allowed women to vote from 1797-1807, but this had no lasting effect). While this is certainly groundbreaking, it does beg the question… Why Wyoming? Well, Wyoming was a territory at the time, so the system in place was hardly official enough to keep systemic oppression in place. The matter was fairly easy to raise. A popular story of the time tells: Esther Hobart Morris, an acclaimed Wyoming suffragist, encouraged the passage of the suffrage bill, asking for promises of its passage, at a tea party in which Col. William Bright, the politician and civil worker who eventually drafted the bill, was present at. Although this story is potentially as much folk as it is fact, it speaks to the culture of politics and the openness to suggestions that Wyoming politicians held close to heart. Historians ruminate about other influencers for granting women suffrage: It may have been because they were a significant part of frontier life and therefore deserved a voice, or as a way to attract more women as a means of populating the area.
Luisa Swain was the first documented woman to legally vote in the territory of Wyoming. Born in the East, Swain relocated to Wyoming in 1869, which was also when the area was first given territorial status. Her historic first vote occurred nearly a year after the ratification of Wyoming’s state Constitution. Swain may have been one of the few identified women, but nearly 289 women in the territory were documented to have voted, which was similar to the number of votes from their male counterparts (WyoHistory). Swain may not be as notable or influential as suffragists like Susan B. Anthony, but she and the women of Wyoming left their mark on the country by taking the risk to cast their ballot, a significant step towards equality.
Another interesting and impressive factor to note is the inclusion of people of color in Wyoming’s voting legislature. Or rather, the lack of exclusion… Without legal distinctions against race or ethnicity, women of color were also granted the right to vote in this sweeping success. This did not mean the right to vote for everyone, though. Native Americans and immigrants were not recognized as US citizens, therefore they were denied the ballot. Furthermore, mentally disabled people and those who were illiterate were prevented from voting.
Wyoming served as an example for the other territories of Utah, Washington, Montana, and Alaska to all follow as they allowed women to vote even before statehood. Eventually, the entire country followed suit nearly 50 years later with the ratification of the 19th Amendment and now, thanks to the courageous work of Wyoming's suffragists, roughly 64% of women across the nation have voted from 1980 until present day. This is even greater turnout than men (Pew Research Center). On the 152nd anniversary of this momentous bill, remember those who shaped modern American politics and allowed women the voice they have in today’s society.
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