Dakota Datebook: 100 Years of Women Voting Prairie Public

When the Federal Suffrage Amendment passed in the U.S. House and Senate on June 4th, 1919, there were many calls in North Dakota for a special session so North Dakota could ratify the amendment. However, Nonpartisan League Governor Frazier did not want the expense of a special session just for the sake of suffrage.

On November 2, 1920, eligible men and women around the country were able to vote equally in the election for the first time. According to the census bureau, approximately 26 million women were now able to vote. However, there were still an estimated 1.5 million women considered ineligible.

Suffragists Alice Paul and Lucy Burns learned about militant protest tactics from suffrage efforts in England. They felt such tactics could help in the United States, but the National American Woman Suffrage Association did not approve, so they founded a separate group, the National Woman’s Party, under Alice Paul’s leadership.

North and South Dakota officially became states on this date in 1889, at a time when suffrage was a hot topic of conversation. The year began with suffragists requesting the right to vote at the territorial legislative session. In July, members of the constitutional convention met in Bismarck and discussed whether the right for women to vote should be written into the state constitution. Neither of these proved fully successful, but women were able to retain their right to vote for matters relating to schools.

North Dakota’s 4th Annual Industrial Exposition took place in Bismarck in October 1914, and the city was bustling with activity. The Bismarck Tribune proudly exclaimed, “Never in the history of the state was there such an elaborate, … extensive, and … excellent display of the state’s products. … Not only is there quantity, but also a quality which is perfection itself, accompanied by beauty unsurpassed.”

On this date in 1912, excitement grew as plans were made for Jane Addams to speak in the state.