Timeline of women's suffrage in Illinois

This is a timeline of women's suffrage in Illinois. Women's suffrage in Illinois began in the mid 1850s. The first women's suffrage group was created in 1855 in Earlville, Illinois by Susan Hoxie Richardson. The Illinois Woman Suffrage Association (IWSA), later renamed the Illinois Equal Suffrage Association (IESA), was created by Mary Livermore in 1869. This group held annual conventions and petitioned various governmental bodies in Illinois for women's suffrage. On June 19, 1891, women gained the right to vote for school offices. However, it wasn't until 1913 that women saw expanded suffrage. That year women in Illinois were granted the right to vote for Presidential electors and various local offices. Suffragists continued to fight for full suffrage in the state. Finally, Illinois became the first state to ratify the Nineteenth Amendment on June 10, 1919. The League of Women Voters (LWV) was announced in Chicago on February 14, 1920.

19th century

1850s

1855

  • Alonzo Jackson Grover gives the first women's suffrage speech in Illinois.[1]
  • Susan Hoxie Richardson creates the Earlville Suffrage Association.[2]

1860s

1869

  • Mary Livermore organizes a women's suffrage convention in Chicago.[3]
  • During the convention, the Illinois Woman Suffrage Association (IWSA) is created.[4]
  • Livermore starts the women's suffrage newspaper, The Agitator.[5]

1870s

Suffrage question in state constitutional convention, April 17, 1870

1870

  • February: Frances Willard and the IWSA petition the Illinois Constitutional Convention to include women's suffrage in the state constitution.[3]
  • February: Annual meeting of IWSA held at the Opera House in Springfield, Illinois.[6]

1871

1872

1873

  • School offices are opened to women in Illinois.[9]

1874

  • Ten women are elected to County Superintendent of Schools.[10]

1876

1879

  • Frances Willard brings a petition to the General Assembly for women to have suffrage rights over alcohol-related issues in Illinois.[11]

1880s

1884

1885

1887

  • Mary Holmes becomes president of IWSA.[10]

1888

  • The Decatur Women's Suffrage Club is formed by Sophie Gibb and 100 other women in Decatur, Illinois.[9]
  • The Naperville Equal Suffrage Club is created.[14]

1890s

1890

  • IWSA changes their name to the Illinois Equal Suffrage Association (IESA).[10]

1891

1892

1893

  • A bill for Township suffrage for women is introduced in the state Senate, but is not successful in the House.[17]
  • A bill to repeal the School Suffrage Law is defeated in the state House.[17]
  • March: Carrie Chapman Catt tours the southern part of Illinois.[18]

1894

  • The Chicago Political Equality League (CPEL) is created.[10]

1895

  • A bill for Township suffrage is again introduced in the Senate, but fails.[17]
  • April: IWSA holds their annual convention in Decatur.[9]

1897

  • Caroline Fairfield Corbin creates the Illinois Association Opposed to the Extension of Suffrage to Women.[9]
  • Bills for Township and Bond suffrage are introduced in the state legislature, but do not pass.[19]

1898

  • Women's suffrage groups lobbied for women to be exempt from taxation since they did not vote, but the legislature did not act on the idea.[20]

1899

  • Again, bills for Township and Bond suffrage are introduced in the legislature, but do not pass.[21]

20th century

1900s

Suffrage club meeting in Chicago in 1905

1900

1901

  • Elizabeth F. Long becomes IESA president.[22]

1902

1903

  • Hughes is elected president of IESA for a second term.[23]

1904

1905

  • IESA holds their annual convention in Chicago and Ella S. Stewart is elected the president.[23]

1906

  • Stewart is re-elected as IESA president.[10]

1907

1908

1909

1910s

"Why Not Let Mother Vote" postcard, 1910

1910

  • Grace Wilbur Trout becomes president of the Chicago Political Equality League (CPEL).[10]
  • July: Suffragists begin automobile tours around Illinois, speaking on women's suffrage.[26]
  • October: IESA holds their state convention in Elgin, Illinois.[27]
  • Mrs. Willis S. McCrea creates the North Side Branch of IESA.[27]

1911

  • CPEL moves their headquarters to the Fine Arts Building.[10]
  • October 31-November 1: IESA holds their annual convention in Decatur.[9] Elvira Downey becomes the president.[9]

1912

1913

Rainy suffrage parade with Janet Ayer Fairbank in Chicago, June 7, 1916

1914

  • May 2: Suffrage parade takes place in Chicago with 15,000 marchers along Michigan Ave.[10]
  • June: The General Federation of Women's Clubs (GFWC) holds their biennial convention in Chicago where they formally support women's suffrage.[30]
  • June 13: The Illinois Supreme Court upholds women's right to vote in School officer elections in Plummer v. Yost.[31]
  • August 15: Self-Denial Day to raise money for suffrage efforts.[32]

1915

1916

1917

1919

1920s

1920

See also

References

  1. Lahti, Hannah (2019-12-29). "Early Suffrage in Illinois: A.J. Grover and the Earlville Suffrage Association". Suffrage 2020 Illinois. Retrieved 2020-10-25.
  2. Harrington, Mark (8 June 2019). "The Weekend Story: Looking Back Ahead of 100th Anniversary of Women's Suffage in Illinois". WSPY NEWS. Retrieved 2020-10-25.
  3. Sorenson 2004, p. 6.
  4. Janu & Venet 1996, p. 3.
  5. "Philanthropist, Organizer, Agitator". Chicago History Museum. 2020-01-08. Retrieved 2020-10-26.
  6. "Woman Suffrage Convention". Decatur Weekly Republican. 1870-02-03. p. 4. Retrieved 2020-10-27 via Newspapers.com.
  7. "Woman Suffrage Convention". The Woodstock Sentinel. 1871-02-02. p. 2. Retrieved 2020-10-27 via Newspapers.com.
  8. "State Suffrage Association". Chicago Tribune. 1872-02-08. p. 2. Retrieved 2020-10-27 via Newspapers.com.
  9. Sorensen, Mark W. (2020-08-19). "Women's Suffrage in Decatur, Illinois". Suffrage 2020 Illinois. Retrieved 2020-10-26.
  10. "Timeline". Suffrage 2020 Illinois. 2019-05-15. Retrieved 2020-10-27.
  11. Norvell, Matthew (2020-04-12). "The Illinois WCTU and Suffrage". Suffrage 2020 Illinois. Retrieved 2020-10-30.
  12. "The National Association in Annual Convention". Chicago Tribune. 1884-11-20. p. 8. Retrieved 2020-10-31 via Newspapers.com.
  13. "Susan B. Anthony". Chicago Tribune. 1885-04-12. p. 10. Retrieved 2020-10-31 via Newspapers.com.
  14. Wilson, Marie (2020-08-22). "How suburban leaders pushed movement for women's votes". Daily Herald. Retrieved 2020-10-31.
  15. Sorenson 2004, p. 8.
  16. "Can Vote". Decatur Daily Republican. 1892-01-29. p. 3. Retrieved 2020-10-27 via Newspapers.com.
  17. Anthony 1902, p. 601.
  18. Anthony 1902, p. 599.
  19. Anthony 1902, p. 601-602.
  20. Anthony 1902, p. 602.
  21. Anthony 1902, p. 603.
  22. Harper 1922, p. 145.
  23. Harper 1922, p. 146.
  24. Harper 1922, p. 147.
  25. "Notable Speakers to Be Heard". The Parsons Daily Sun. 1909-11-19. p. 1. Retrieved 2020-10-27 via Newspapers.com.
  26. Sorenson 2004, p. 9.
  27. Harper 1922, p. 149.
  28. Trout 1920, p. 148.
  29. Harper 1922, p. 157.
  30. Harper 1922, p. 160.
  31. "Opinions of Supreme Court Justices in Favor of and Against the Suffrage Law". Chicago Examiner. 1914-06-14. p. 2. Retrieved 2020-10-27 via Newspapers.com.
  32. Lovett, Marion Walters (1914-07-12). "State Suffrage Leaders to Raise Self-Denial Fund". Chicago Tribune. p. 2. Retrieved 2020-10-31 via Newspapers.com.
  33. Harper 1922, p. 161.
  34. Terry, Casey (2020-03-07). "The Founding of the National Woman's Party". Suffrage 2020 Illinois. Retrieved 2020-10-30.
  35. Harper 1922, p. 163.
  36. Sorenson 2004, p. 10.
  37. "Women's Suffrage in Wisconsin". Wisconsin Historical Society. 2019-06-05. Retrieved 2021-01-05.
  38. Harper 1922, p. 164.

Sources

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