Civics ( part 3) - Suffrage and the Equality State

 

Flag of Wyoming

One hundred years ago...

August 26, 1920, the 19th amendment passed.

“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”
and
“Congress shall have power
to enforce this article
by appropriate legislation.”

(reference: 19th Amendment Adopted )

It was a hard and long fought battle, summed up as follows:

(reference: https://youtu.be/ML76y8mACZs )

But Wyoming had them beat by 50 years.

"In 1869, the Wyoming territory passed the Wyoming Women’s Suffrage Act, the first in the nation to grant women the right to vote, without restrictions like marital status, property ownership, or monetary requirements—something that changed women’s history forever."

... 

"According to the Louisa Swain Foundation, on September 6, 1870, Louisa “Eliza” Swain made history as the first female voter when she cast her ballot in Laramie, Wyoming."

(reference: Why Women Were Allowed to Vote in Wyoming—50 Years Before the 19th Amendment )

Women's right to vote.

The reason Wyoming is called...

The Equality State

( reference: Wyoming ) 

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Previous post in the series:

Civics (part 1) - The Electoral College (2016) 

Civics (part 2) - We the People (2017)

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Photo:  Flag of Wyoming