WYOMING’S PROUD HISTORY: The 1ST Women’s Vote in the USA
In the years of Reconstruction after the Civil War, a national discourse ensued about citizenship and voting rights. Wyoming was then a wild and ranging territory, home to a sparse population and few laws. Its first territorial Legislature convened in the train town of Cheyenne to build a legislative framework, only months before being declared the temporary capital. One law, Council Bill 70, was passed for the fledgling territory that thrust Wyoming into the international limelight on December 10, 1869, granting women the right to vote and hold office.
It was the first unconditional law in the U.S. that permanently guaranteed women the right to vote and to hold office, and it came 50 years before it was ratified as the 19th Amendment. In 1889, as it attempted to gain statehood, Wyoming famously refused to join the union if its suffrage laws were not upheld, sending a telegram to Congress stating: “We will remain out of the Union 100 years rather than come in without the women.”
The state followed the passage with other notable gestures of equal rights. It wasn’t Wyoming’s only first claim to gender equality. But it was the nation’s first state to appoint women to public office, to appoint the first female jurors and the first female governor, which cemented its legacy as a pioneer of suffrage worldwide. Thus, the state adopted its “Equality State” nickname. Bottom of Form
Wyoming became a global beacon of hope. One thing is certain though, the passage of women’s suffrage is not a simple tale. It was nuanced and complicated, with twists and turns, stained in situations by racism, sexism, and power plays. But it was crucial to Wyoming’s identity, and it took center stage as the state celebrated its 150th anniversary of the landmark passage.
History shows that politicians’ support for suffrage was rooted in the belief that upper-class white women should have the right to vote before, or at least concurrent with, African-American men and other minorities. Yet, the act excluded most Native Americans until they gained their citizenship in 1924. There were no stories of riots, high-profile arrests, or suffrage martyrs. That could be part of the reason why there’s not as much broad awareness of its suffrage legacy as should be expected.
Gauging Wyoming’s gender equality landscape today by measurements like the wage gap, female representation in the state Legislature, and domestic violence protections, it appears the state that started out ahead of all others, has fallen behind. The Wyoming Women’s Foundation ranks the state 49th in the country in the pay gap at 15%. Its female representation in the Legislature is among the lowest in the country. After galloping first out of the suffrage gate and following with a few decades of good progress, Wyoming’s pace has now slowed down.
Today’s women must learn from early suffrage characters like the state’s first Justice of the Peace Esther Hobart Morris. Morris was by all accounts a fine justice with a stellar record and yet correspondence reveals that she felt unprepared, unqualified, and out of her depth. A lot of women appear to experience these types of insecurities initially, which could translate into not applying for higher-paying jobs, or not risking an election run. There’s a lot to be learned from a woman from 150 years ago who had the courage to do the job, which she did to the best of her ability.
Currently, many of the 14 female members of the Legislature are relatively newcomers to politics and represent minority interests like Democrats, Native Americans, and the LGBTQ+ community. Seeing very inept men in office was genuinely motivating to them, thinking to themselves they could do better than them. Many female legislators say the job isn’t for everyone. It requires a thick skin and huge commitment. Most of them expressed satisfaction in representing their communities. With its complicated history, there are mixed feelings about suffrage in the future. Folks want to celebrate a proud past, without facing the hard task ahead or working to guarantee a better future.
What would that hard work entail? Leaning into challenging conversations, acknowledging history with all its flaws, and growing out of it. Wyoming can do the hard work when they pull together.
Sammy RNAJ — sammy.rnaj.writer@gmail.com
