Why Was Utah The First Territory for *Women to Vote In?
In 1870, 50 years before the 19th Amendment was ratified, thousands of Utah women voted under equal suffrage law, a first in the nation. The bill, unanimously passed by an all male legislature, would grant voting to some women, while others would remain disenfranchised for generations. Nationally, leaders of the women’s suffrage movement hoped that Utah would blaze a path for the women’s liberation and enfranchisement. But the plan completely backfired and Utah women’s suffrage was taken away just 17 years after it was granted. Learn how Utah’s early suffrage movement was deeply entwined with polygamy and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
Hosted by Harini Bhat, Ph.D., In The Margins is a new PBS series that covers the history they didn’t teach in school, exploring obscure, yet captivating tales that offer unique insights into their time and place. Check out more from Harini Bhat @tilscience
Learn more about Utah women’s civic and political history here:
https://utahwomenshistory.org/2018/02/receiving-losing-and-winning-back-the-vote-the-story-of-utah-womens-suffrage/
And here:
https://utahwomenshistory.org/
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0:00 Intro
0:17 1870 Utah all-male legislature unanimously passes suffrage bill
1:44 The twin relics of barbarism and Republican plan to end polygamy
2:43 Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints women support of polygamy
3:51 Limitations to the Utah suffrage bill
4:13 Utah women, first to vote in the nation under equal suffrage law
5:06 National plan to end polygamy fails
6:04 U.S. Congress outlaws polygamy and passes anti-polygamy acts
6:31 Latter-Day Saint women organize and protest
6:40 Elizabeth Austin Taylor’s fight for Black women’s vote
7:02 Hannah Kaaepa’s fight for Native Hawaiian women’s right to vote
7:13 Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints ‘1890 Manifesto’ officially ends the practice of polygamy
7:23 Utah becomes a state and Utah Constitution allows some women to vote and hold political office
8:15 Racist barriers to the 19th Amendment and acts to keep people from voting
9:29 Recent history of state laws restricting voting rights
10:29 Percentages of women holding Senate and House seats today
11:09 Close
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