The Suffrage Movement began in Seneca Falls, New York, in the year 1848.  Women wanted to be heard and entrusted with societal decisions.  Eventually, the 14th Amendment would be the object to be achieved:  “No State shall…abridge the privileges…of citizens.”  Women’s groups throughout the nation set their eyes on the territory of Utah, figuring all of the women (who were enslaved in polygamy, and outnumbered men profoundly) would carry the election.  Perhaps it would result in casting out polygamy and Mormonism in general.

There were two female factions in the nation raising their voices:

Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony formed the National Woman Suffrage Association (NWSA).  This was an all-female group that wanted a voice and would fight to the end to be heard and appeased.

Lucy Stone and others organized the American Woman Suffrage Association (AWSA).  This group included men in their leadership, and mostly wanted respectability.  They were not interested in placing as high demands as the other group of women.  However, because of the Mormon’s stand on polygamy, they would not tolerate the women from Utah.

So, the women from Utah aligned themselves with the NWSA, inviting Susan B. Anthony to Utah, presenting her with an all black (she only wore this color) silk dress, provided by the Silk Industry.  Emmeline B. Wells and Miss Anthony became close friends staying in contact with one another for many years.

When we think of suffrage, we think of radical and extreme.  This is not what our sisters were after.  Through the law, suffrage would allow women to vote, to own property, (independent of a husband, and even at the husband’s death), own her own business and support herself by it, with or without a husband.  She would be able to run for office and continue the voice of the interest and rights of women and children.  Utah women used the term SUFFRAGIST: women who wanted to create change through constitutional laws that would protect their family and children better.  SUFFRAGETTES were more militant, eventually becoming more radical and extreme.

The Territory of Wyoming was the first to give suffrage, or the right to vote, to women in November of 1869.  It wasn’t until February 12, 1870 that Utah women were given suffrage.  To get the coveted vote in Utah, there were no demonstrations or petitions.  Eliza R. Snow, along with fourteen other signatures, simply sent a memorandum to the acting territorial governor Stephen Mann praising his “liberality and gentlemanly kindness”.  He simply signed the bill.

Wyoming’s next election wouldn’t be until September, when the women would be able to vote for the first time.  Utah’s election was in August allowing Utah women the right to use their voting privilege, becoming the first state to allow women to vote.  At that election, percentagewise, more women voted than men.

Information taken from Battle for the Ballot compiled by Carol Cornwall Madsen