Women's suffrage in Utah

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Women's suffrage in Utah refers to the history and development of women's right to vote in the state of Utah, United States. Utah has a unique and significant place in the history of women's suffrage in the United States, being one of the first territories to grant women the right to vote.

Early History

The movement for women's suffrage in Utah began in the mid-19th century. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) played a significant role in the early suffrage movement. Many early suffragists in Utah were members of the LDS Church, and the church's leadership supported women's suffrage as part of their broader social and political goals.

Granting of Suffrage

In 1870, the Utah Territory granted women the right to vote, making it the second territory in the United States to do so, following the Wyoming Territory. The first woman to legally vote in the United States under a women's suffrage law was Seraph Young, who cast her vote in a municipal election in Salt Lake City on February 14, 1870.

Revocation and Restoration

Women's suffrage in Utah faced challenges in the late 19th century. In 1887, the Edmunds-Tucker Act was passed by the United States Congress, which disenfranchised women in Utah as part of broader efforts to combat polygamy practiced by some members of the LDS Church. This act revoked the voting rights of all women in the territory.

Women's suffrage was restored in Utah when it achieved statehood in 1896. The new state constitution included a provision that granted women the right to vote and hold office, making Utah one of the first states to enshrine women's suffrage in its constitution.

Key Figures

Several key figures were instrumental in the women's suffrage movement in Utah. These include:

• Emmeline B. Wells - A prominent suffragist and editor of the Woman's Exponent, a periodical that advocated for women's rights.
• Martha Hughes Cannon - The first female state senator in the United States, elected in Utah in 1896.
• Zina D. H. Young - An early advocate for women's suffrage and prominent member of the LDS Church.

Legacy

The women's suffrage movement in Utah had a lasting impact on the state and the nation. Utah women continued to be active in the national suffrage movement, contributing to the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution in 1920, which granted women the right to vote nationwide.

Related Pages

• Women's suffrage in the United States
• Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution
• History of Utah
• Martha Hughes Cannon
• Emmeline B. Wells
• Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

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