Women's suffrage in Montana

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Montana suffragists campaign for Votes for Women, November 2, 1914 Montana Suffragists campaign for Votes for Women, November 2, 1914.jpg
Montana suffragists campaign for Votes for Women, November 2, 1914

The women's suffrage movement in Montana started while it was still a territory. The Women's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) was an early organizer that supported suffrage in the state, arriving in 1883. Women were given the right to vote in school board elections and on tax issues in 1887. When the state constitutional convention was held in 1889, Clara McAdow and Perry McAdow invited suffragist Henry Blackwell to speak to the delegates about equal women's suffrage. While that proposition did not pass, women retained their right to vote in school and tax elections as Montana became a state. In 1895, National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA) came to Montana to organize local groups. Montana suffragists held a convention and created the Montana Woman's Suffrage Association (MWSA). Suffragists continued to organize, hold conventions and lobby the Montana Legislature for women's suffrage through the end of the nineteenth century. In the early twentieth century, Jeannette Rankin became a driving force around the women's suffrage movement in Montana. By January 1913, a women's suffrage bill had passed the Montana Legislature and went out as a referendum. Suffragists launched an all-out campaign leading up to the vote. They traveled throughout Montana giving speeches and holding rallies. They sent out thousands of letters and printed thousands of pamphlets and journals to hand out. Suffragists set up booths at the Montana State Fair and they held parades. Finally, after a somewhat contested election on November 3, 1914, the suffragists won the vote. Montana became one of eleven states with equal suffrage for most women. When the Nineteenth Amendment was passed, Montana ratified it on August 2, 1919. It wasn't until 1924 with the passage of the Indian Citizenship Act that Native American women gained the right to vote.

Contents

Early efforts

Clara McAdow in 1888 at the Spotted Horse Mill Clara McAdow in 1888 at the Spotted Horse Mill.png
Clara McAdow in 1888 at the Spotted Horse Mill

The earliest suffrage organizing in the territory of Montana started with the Women's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU). Frances Willard came to Montana in 1883 in order to set up local WCTU chapters. [1] Willard gave one of the first women's suffrage speeches in the state that year and advised the local chapters to create suffrage committees. [1] The next year, during the state constitutional convention in 1884, equal suffrage for women was proposed by Judge. W. J. Stephens from Missoula. [2] However, neither the suffrage proposal nor statehood was accepted that year. [2]

In 1887, Clara McAdow requested help organizing suffrage groups in Montana from suffragists in the east, but was not able to get a commitment. [3] That same year, women gained the right to vote in school board elections. [3] Women were also allowed to vote on tax issues. [4] However, the vote did not completely extend to Native American women, who were excluded if they lived on a reservation. [5]

During the 1889 state Constitutional Convention, Clara's husband, Perry McAdow from Fergus County, proposed adding women's suffrage language. [6] He invited Henry Blackwell to the convention as a speaker. [6] Blackwell said, writing to Lucy Stone, "There has never been a woman suffrage meeting held in Montana." [7] He said that suffragists should have come to Montana when Clara McAdow wrote them for help earlier. [7] Blackwell lobbied as many convention delegates as he was able. [8] He spoke to the convention and begged that at the very least delegates did not remove any suffrage women were already entitled to in Montana. [9] [10] Blackwell was able to persuade the constitutional delegates to consider adding language to the state constitution that would make later changes to suffrage easier. [6] However, even that proposal failed, though women retained their right to vote in school board elections as Montana became a state. [6]

In Helena, a women's suffrage club was founded in January 1890. [11] However, by 1895, the club had dissolved. [12] On May 15, 1895, Emma Smith DeVoe from the National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA) came to Montana where she organized chapters in several cities. [12] The NAWSA chapters worked to create a state suffrage convention in Helena which was held September 2 and 3 in 1895. [13] Carrie Chapman Catt attended as a speaker. [13] The creation of the Montana Woman's Suffrage Association (MWSA) came out of the convention and Harriet P. Sanders accepted the role as first president. [14] [13] Catt provided the local groups with a course of study on women's suffrage tactics and issues. [15]

A women's suffrage amendment bill was introduced in the state congress in 1895 by Representative John S. Huseby. [16] It passed by the necessary two-thirds vote in the House. [17] T. W. Brosnan from Cascade County presented two petitions for women's suffrage to the Senate. [17] The bill was unable to pass the Senate, despite the petitions. [18]

In 1896, DeVoe came back to Montana to continue organizing suffragists. [15] That year, on November 17 to 19, MWSA held their state convention at Butte. [19] It was a large convention and MWSA appointed a central committee made up of women from around the state. [20] Ella Knowles Haskell became the group's next president. [19] Haskell was an effective leader and helped get 2,500 signatures on a petition for a women's suffrage amendment to the 1887 state legislature. [19] Some of the signers also came to lobby politicians. [19] MWSA set up a legislative committee which included women from almost every county in Montana to lobby the legislators. [21] During deliberations in the legislature, suffragists "overflowed the galleries and filled available space on the floor." [22] Haskell was asked to speak to the legislature and later, the legislature asked to hear Sarepta Sanders. [23] [24] Despite the suffragists' efforts, the bill for the amendment did not get the required two-thirds vote to pass. [19]

The 1897 MWSA convention was held in Helena in November. [25] By this year, there were 35 local suffrage groups in Montana. [25] At this convention, the suffragists also formed an Equal Suffrage Party which was organized like other political parties in the state. [26] In 1898, suffragists solicited the positions of legislative candidates on women's suffrage. [27] MWSA held another convention in October 1899 and elected Maria M. Dean as president. [20] Catt and Mary Garrett Hay came to the convention to campaign. [28] Also in 1899, Mary B. Atwater helped to lobby the Montana Legislature for another women's suffrage amendment. [16] John R. Toole introduced the amendment during this session and several suffragists again testified for women's suffrage. [29] The bill was defeated again. [27]

Helena suffragists lobbied at the Republican, Democratic and Populist party conventions for a women's suffrage plank in 1900. [30] At this time, the only active local club in Montana was the Helena Equal Suffrage Club. [31] Catt, Gail Laughlin and Laura A. Gregg returned to Montana and helped reorganize the women's suffrage club in Helena in 1902. [32] Laughlin spent that summer organizing women's suffrage groups around the state. [32] In November she came to Great Falls to give a speech and the Great Falls Tribune called her "well worth hearing." [33] In 1903, a women's suffrage amendment was introduced in the state legislature, but didn't pass. [34]

The women's suffrage movement in Montana had stalled by 1905. [35] Even though women's suffrage amendments were proposed in the legislature, suffragists did not actively campaign for them. [34]

Getting the vote

Jeannette Rankin holding a suffrage banner as chair of Montana Activities in 1913 Jeannete Rankin holding a suffrage banner as chair of Montana Activities in 1913.png
Jeannette Rankin holding a suffrage banner as chair of Montana Activities in 1913

In 1911, the Montana Legislature introduced a new women's suffrage bill. [35] Jeannette Rankin addressed the legislators during the deliberations. [35] When the bill went up for votes, it received a majority of support, but not the two-thirds vote required to pass. [35] However, the majority vote gave suffragists in Montana hope. [36] In 1911 and 1912, women's suffrage groups hosted booths at the Montana State Fair where they passed out literature and buttons. [34]

In January 1913, the Montana Legislature passed another women's suffrage bill. [37] Leading up to the referendum vote in 1914, suffragists staged a publicity campaign and Rankin organized women throughout the state. [37] [38] She set up people to act as a claque during political speeches. [39] This encouraged politicians to mention suffrage more often. [40] Maggie Smith Hathaway traveled 5,700 miles through Montana bringing the message of women's suffrage, earning her the nickname of "The Whirlwind." [41] Members of the WCTU spoke to church members about women's suffrage. [41] In rural areas, suffragists hosted rallies with a dance afterwards. [42] It was reported that "oldtimers" said "What would our State have been without the women? You bet you can count on us." [43] Suffragists even spoke to movie-goers who were waiting for the next film to start. [40]

Suffrage supporters contacted Montana newspapers every week about the vote. [44] They sent out around 100,000 letters and sent personal letters to farmers in the state. [35] [40] Thirty-thousand copies of "Women Teachers of Montana Should Have the Vote" were printed and passed out by the Missoula Teachers' Suffrage Committee. [37] [45] Suffragists starting publishing a newspaper in Helena, the Suffrage Daily News. [46]

In the spring, Harriet Burton Laidlaw and James Lees Laidlaw visited Montana. [44] James Laidlaw and Wellington D. Rankin founded a Montana chapter of the National Men's Suffrage League. [44] Suffragists persuaded the governor, Sam V. Stewart, to declare May 2 "Women's Day." [47] On that day, they held a car rally on Last Chance Gulch in Helena. [47] In June, Rankin gave a speech to the Montana Federation of Women's Clubs (MFWC) in Lewistown, Montana. [47] The speech was covered by Belle Fligelman Winestine. [47]

At the Montana State Fair in September, suffragists sponsored a women's suffrage booth. [48] [46] At the booth, they gave out copies of the Suffrage Daily News. [48] Children attending the fair were given hat bands that read "I want my mother to vote." [40] After the fair, a large parade was held in Helena. [49] [48] Cars were decorated with suffrage colors and delegates represented different areas of Montana. [49] Anna Howard Shaw and Rankin lead the parade. [48] The Boy Scouts and the Anaconda band also marched in the parade. [50] Hundreds of women marched wearing yellow outfits and thousands of spectators came to view the parade which stretched out over a mile. [51] [52]

The campaign leading up to the vote cost around $8,000 and that was with many of the women donating their time and working for free. [40] When the suffragists' funds were lost when a bank collapsed, James Laidlaw gave funds to the suffrage effort. [40] Rosalie Jones donated $1,000. [53] Suffragists raised money by denying themselves entertainment, such as the movies, and donated that money to the cause instead. [54] Money was also raised through society teas and theater presentations. [54]

Woman suffrage advertisement from The Suffrage Daily News, November 2, 1914 Woman suffrage advertisement from The Suffrage Daily News, November 2, 1914.jpg
Woman suffrage advertisement from The Suffrage Daily News, November 2, 1914

The vote was held on November 3, 1914. [48] Poll watchers were on hand during the election because suffragists worried that the anti-suffragists might try to cheat. [55] The tight race was counted over several days with areas of the state refusing to report the count of their ballot boxes. [48] Anaconda officials locked up their election reports and would not provide them, holding up the tallies. [55] Rankin threatened to hire lawyers to ensure a full count and let NAWSA know about the situation. [55] [48] Lawyers were hired and the press was notified. [55] Edith Clinch took control of the situation in Anaconda and in Boulder, Montana, Mary Atwater was in charge of watching the count. [55] Finally all ballots were tallied. [48] The amendment passed by 41,302 to 37,588. [48] Montana became one of eleven states to pass equal women's suffrage. [55]

In January 1915, Rankin invited suffragists and groups to Helena for a conference on "intelligent use of the ballot." [56] Suffrage groups in the state changed their names to Good Government Clubs and worked towards positive political change. [57] These later became Montana League of Women Voters groups. [58]

On July 29, 1919, Governor Samuel Stewart recalled Montana legislators to open a special session. [59] During the session, Stewart urged legislators to ratify the Nineteenth Amendment because "Montana already has woman suffrage; her women vote upon every important issue presented to our people." [59] The ratification passed immediately and the governor signed it on August 2, 1919. [59] Montana was the thirteenth state to ratify the amendment. [59] Native Americans in Montana could not vote until 1924 when the Indian Citizenship Act was passed. [6]

Anti-suffragism in Montana

Anti-suffragist in a cartoon by Morris Hall Pancoast, published in the Suffrage Daily News September 26, 1914 Anti-suffrage cartoon by Morris Hall Pancoast, published in the Suffrage Daily News September 26, 1914.png
Anti-suffragist in a cartoon by Morris Hall Pancoast, published in the Suffrage Daily News September 26, 1914

The anti-suffrage movement in Montana consisted of both men and women who did not want things in society to change. [60] [61] Anti-suffragists felt that women's suffrage challenged traditional gender roles. [60] Women were meant to be in charge of domestic spheres and stay out of politics they argued. [23] In addition, antis claimed that women would just vote the same way as the men in their lives did. [62] Anti-suffragists claimed that women didn't really want to vote. [63] Politician, Martin Maginnis, claimed that giving women the vote would be forcing something on women that they really didn't want or need. [64] Legislators passed along stories of women bragging that they had voted more than once in school board elections. [19] Maginnis, believed that giving the vote to women would lead to a theocracy. [11] Conversely, another politician, G. L. Ramsey, called the idea of women voting "unChristian." [19]

Some of the anti-suffragists were also against prohibition. [60] In order to keep the issues separate, the Montana Equal Suffrage Association (MESA) would not allow the Women's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) to march in their parade in 1914. [65] Mining interests, like the Anaconda Co., worried that women getting the vote would mean more safety laws and guidelines in their mines. [66]

Anti-suffrage women did not get organized as quickly as the suffragists because antis believed that becoming involved in politics was "unwomanly." [67] Anti-suffragists did not organize until late in the suffrage fight. In Butte, at the end of the summer in 1914, women founded the Montana Association Opposed to Woman Suffrage. [68] They held a booth at the Montana State Fair and handed out anti-suffrage literature. [68]

See also

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Timeline of women's suffrage in Maine</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Women's suffrage in Maine</span>

While women's suffrage had an early start in Maine, dating back to the 1850s, it was a long, slow road to equal suffrage. Early suffragists brought speakers Susan B. Anthony and Lucy Stone to the state in the mid-1850s. Ann F. Jarvis Greely and other women in Ellsworth, Maine, created a women's rights lecture series in 1857. The first women's suffrage petition to the Maine Legislature was also sent that year. Working-class women began marching for women's suffrage in the 1860s. The Snow sisters created the first Maine women's suffrage organization, the Equal Rights Association of Rockland, in 1868. In the 1870s, a state suffrage organization, the Maine Women's Suffrage Association (MWSA), was formed. Many petitions for women's suffrage were sent to the state legislature. MWSA and the Woman's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) of Maine worked closely together on suffrage issues. By the late 1880s the state legislature was considering several women's suffrage bills. While women's suffrage did not pass, during the 1890s many women's rights laws were secured. During the 1900s, suffragists in Maine continued to campaign and lecture on women's suffrage. Several suffrage organizations including a Maine chapter of the College Equal Suffrage League and the Men's Equal Rights League were formed in the 1910s. Florence Brooks Whitehouse started the Maine chapter of the National Woman's Party (NWP) in 1915. Suffragists and other clubwomen worked together on a large campaign for a 1917 voter referendum on women's suffrage. Despite the efforts of women around the state, women's suffrage failed. Going into the next few years, a women's suffrage referendum on voting in presidential elections was placed on the September 13, 1920 ballot. But before that vote, Maine ratified the Nineteenth Amendment on November 5, 1920. It was the nineteenth state to ratify. A few weeks after ratification, MWSA dissolved and formed the League of Women Voters (LWV) of Maine. White women first voted in Maine on September 13, 1920. Native Americans in Maine had to wait longer to vote. In 1924, they became citizens of the United States. However, Maine would not allow individuals living on Indian reservations to vote. It was not until the passage of a 1954 equal rights referendum that Native Americans gained the right to vote in Maine. In 1955 Lucy Nicolar Poolaw (Penobscot) was the first Native American living on a reservation in Maine to cast a vote.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Women's suffrage in North Dakota</span>

Women's suffrage began in North Dakota when it was still part of the Dakota Territory. During this time activists worked for women's suffrage, and in 1879, women gained the right to vote at school meetings. This was formalized in 1883 when the legislature passed a law where women would use separate ballots for their votes on school-related issues. When North Dakota was writing its state constitution, efforts were made to include equal suffrage for women, but women were only able to retain their right to vote for school issues. An abortive effort to provide equal suffrage happened in 1893, when the state legislature passed equal suffrage for women. However, the bill was "lost," never signed and eventually expunged from the record. Suffragists continued to hold conventions, raise awareness, and form organizations. The arrival of Sylvia Pankhurst in February 1912 stimulated the creation of more groups, including the statewide Votes for Women League. In 1914, there was a voter referendum on women's suffrage, but it did not pass. In 1917, limited suffrage bills for municipal and presidential suffrage were signed into law. On December 1, 1919, North Dakota became the twentieth state to ratify the Nineteenth Amendment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Women's suffrage in South Dakota</span>

Women's suffrage started in South Dakota when it was part of Dakota Territory. Prior to 1889, it had a shared history of women's suffrage with North Dakota. While South Dakota was part of the territory, women earned the right to vote on school related issues. They retained this right after it became a separate state. The state constitution specified that there would be a women's suffrage amendment referendum in 1890. Despite a large campaign that included Susan B. Anthony and a state suffrage group, the South Dakota Equal Suffrage Association (SDESA), the referendum failed. The state legislature passed additional suffrage referendums over the years, but each was voted down until 1918. South Dakota was an early ratifier of the Nineteenth Amendment, which was approved during a special midnight legislative session on December 4, 1919.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Timeline of women's suffrage in South Dakota</span>

This is a timeline of women's suffrage in South Dakota. The early history of women's suffrage in the state is shared with North Dakota. When South Dakota became a state, it held a voter referendum in 1890 on an equal suffrage amendment. This effort failed, but suffragists continued to organize and lobby the legislature to pass voter referendums. None passed until 1918. South Dakota ratified the Nineteenth Amendment on December 4, 1919.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Timeline of women's suffrage in Iowa</span>

This is a timeline of women's suffrage in Iowa. Women's suffrage work started early in Iowa's history. Organizing began in the late 1860s with the first state suffrage convention taking place in 1870. In the 1890s, women gained the right to vote on municipal bonds, tax efforts and school-related issues. By 1916, a state suffrage amendment went to out to a voter referendum, which failed. Iowa was the tenth state to ratify the Nineteenth Amendment in 1919.

References

  1. 1 2 Larson 1973, p. 26.
  2. 1 2 Ward 1974, p. 14.
  3. 1 2 Larson 1973, p. 27.
  4. ↑ Lincoln, Marga (13 August 2020). "Montana suffragists played key role in passing 19th Amendment". Helena Independent Record. Retrieved 2020-10-05.
  5. ↑ Foley, Iverson & Lawson 2009, pp. 83–84.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 Baumler et al. 2014, p. 4.
  7. 1 2 Wheeler 1981, p. 6.
  8. ↑ Wheeler 1981, pp. 7–8.
  9. ↑ Wheeler 1981, p. 9.
  10. ↑ Ward 1974, p. 17.
  11. 1 2 Larson 1973, p. 29.
  12. 1 2 Larson 1973, p. 30.
  13. 1 2 3 Larson 1973, p. 31.
  14. ↑ Larson 1973, pp. 31–32.
  15. 1 2 Larson 1973, p. 32.
  16. 1 2 Anthony 1902, p. 798.
  17. 1 2 Ward 1974, p. 45.
  18. ↑ Ward 1974, p. 46.
  19. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Larson 1973, p. 33.
  20. 1 2 Anthony 1902, p. 797.
  21. ↑ Ward 1974, p. 53.
  22. ↑ Ward 1974, p. 55.
  23. 1 2 Ward 1974, p. 56.
  24. ↑ Ward 1974, p. 58.
  25. 1 2 Ward 1974, p. 63.
  26. ↑ Ward 1974, p. 68.
  27. 1 2 Ward 1974, p. 70.
  28. ↑ Ward 1974, p. 75.
  29. ↑ Ward 1974, p. 69.
  30. ↑ Anthony 1902, p. 801.
  31. ↑ Ward 1974, p. 77.
  32. 1 2 Harper 1922, p. 360.
  33. ↑ "Miss Gail Laughlin on Woman Suffrage". Great Falls Tribune. 1902-11-19. p. 8. Retrieved 2020-10-05– via Newspapers.com.
  34. 1 2 3 Harper 1922, p. 361.
  35. 1 2 3 4 5 Schontzler, Gail (16 March 2014). "Votes for Women". Bozeman Daily Chronicle. Retrieved 2020-10-05.
  36. ↑ Ward 1974, p. 112.
  37. 1 2 3 Baumler et al. 2014, p. 5.
  38. ↑ "Equal Suffragists to Organize State". The Billings Gazette. 1914-02-15. p. 3. Retrieved 2020-10-05– via Newspapers.com.
  39. ↑ Ward 1974, p. 122.
  40. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Schaffer 1964, p. 13.
  41. 1 2 Inbody, Kristen (8 November 2014). "Women's suffrage: Montana backers targeted their message to each group they spoke with". Great Falls Tribune. Retrieved 2020-10-05.
  42. ↑ Harper 1922, p. 364.
  43. ↑ Harper 1922, p. 365.
  44. 1 2 3 Harper 1922, p. 363.
  45. ↑ "The Missoula Teachers' Suffrage". Yellowstone Monitor. 1914-08-13. p. 7. Retrieved 2020-10-05– via Newspapers.com.
  46. 1 2 "The Suffrage Daily News (Helena, Mont.) 1914–191?". Library of Congress. Retrieved 2020-10-04.
  47. 1 2 3 4 Winestine 1974, p. 71.
  48. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Winestine 1974, p. 73.
  49. 1 2 "Livingston News". The Butte Miner. 1914-09-22. p. 9. Retrieved 2020-10-04– via Newspapers.com.
  50. ↑ "Dr. Anna Shaw is in the City". The Independent-Record. 1914-09-25. p. 4. Retrieved 2020-10-06– via Newspapers.com.
  51. ↑ "Parade Great Success". The Suffrage Daily News. 26 September 1914. Retrieved 6 October 2020– via Chronicling America.
  52. ↑ Ward 1974, p. 143.
  53. ↑ Schaffer 1964, pp. 13–14.
  54. 1 2 Schaffer 1964, p. 14.
  55. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Ward 1974, p. 144.
  56. ↑ Ward 1974, p. 150.
  57. ↑ Harper 1922, p. 367.
  58. ↑ Ward 1974, p. 151.
  59. 1 2 3 4 Kohl, Martha (2019-08-02). "Montana History Revealed: Montana and the Nineteenth Amendment". Montana History Revealed. Retrieved 2020-10-04.
  60. 1 2 3 Winestine 1974, p. 72.
  61. ↑ Ward 1974, p. 25.
  62. ↑ Schaffer 1964, p. 10.
  63. ↑ Wheeler 1981, p. 12.
  64. ↑ Ward 1974, p. 24.
  65. ↑ Baumler et al. 2014, p. 6.
  66. ↑ Pickett, Mary (2 November 2014). "Jeannette Rankin and the path to women's suffrage in Montana". The Billings Gazette. Retrieved 2020-10-07.
  67. ↑ Ward 1974, p. 141.
  68. 1 2 Ward 1974, p. 142.

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