Timeline of women's suffrage in South Dakota

This is a timeline of women's suffrage in South Dakota. The early history of women's suffrage in the state is shared with North Dakota. When South Dakota became a state, it held a voter referendum in 1890 on an equal suffrage amendment. This effort failed, but suffragists continued to organize and lobby the legislature to pass voter referendums. None passed until 1918. South Dakota ratified the Nineteenth Amendment on December 4, 1919.

19th century

1860s

1868

Enos Stutsman proposes a women's suffrage bill in the Dakota Territorial House.^[1]

1870s

1872

The Territorial Legislature nearly passes a full women's suffrage bill, losing by one vote.^[2]

1879

The Dakota Territory gives women the right to vote in school meetings.^[2]

1880s

1881

Women are allowed to become county superintendents of public education.^[3]

1883

A change in the way people would vote on school issues disenfranchised many women voters in the territory.^[2] The Territory wanted women to use separate ballots for school issues.^[1]
Summer: Matilda Joslyn Gage lectures on women's suffrage in the territory.^[4]
September 6: A women's suffrage petition signed by 1,000 people was presented to the Sioux Falls convention that was deciding whether or not to split the territory.^[4]

1884

The South Dakota Republican Party adopts universal suffrage in their party platform.^[3]

1885

Activists in the southern part of the Dakota territory, working with the Woman's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU), work on petitions to influence the territorial legislature to support women's suffrage.^[3]
John Pickler proposes a women's suffrage bill in the Territorial House, which passed. It is vetoed by Governor Gilbert A. Pierce.^[2]
Marietta Bones starts a suffrage organization in Webster.^[3]

1887

A school suffrage bill expanding the rights of women to vote for all kinds of school issues passes.^[2]
A full women's suffrage bill is proposed, but does not pass the territorial legislature.^[5]

1888

A call for a women's suffrage group was put out in Grand Forks.^[6] On April 12, a meeting was held to form a women's suffrage group that had a packed crowd.^[6]

1889

After the Dakota territory is admitted as two states, two distinct women's suffrage movements emerge.^[5]
October 21: The South Dakota Equal Suffrage Association (SDESA) is formed in Huron by Emma Smith DeVoe and her husband, John.^[7]^[8]
November 11: Susan B. Anthony starts a lecture tour in South Dakota.^[9]

1890s

1890

February: The Picklers and Alonzo Wardall ask NWSA for organizers and funds for the upcoming suffrage campaign.^[7]
June: Sophia M. Harden and other activists speak for women's suffrage at the state Democratic Party convention at Aberdeen.^[7]
July 7–8: The SDESA holds a state suffrage convention in Huron.^[7]
August 25–26: SDESA holds a second women's suffrage convention in Mitchell in order to strategize for the upcoming women's suffrage referendum vote.^[7]
August 27: Suffrage leaders are able to speak at the Reuplican party convention in Mitchell.^[7]
August: A suffrage convention was held in Grant County. The Grant County Equal Suffrage Association is formed.^[10]
November 4: The women's suffrage amendment is defeated.^[11]
The Athol Equal Suffrage Association is created.^[10]
The Grant County Equal Suffrage Association is formed.^[10]

1892

The Prohibition Party passed resolutions for equal suffrage and equal pay.^[12]
State suffrage convention was held in Huron.^[12]

1893

A women's suffrage amendment bill is lobbied for and passed in the state legislature.^[13]
July 4: Suffragists in Onida raise money for campaigns in Colorado, Kansas, and New York.^[12]
September: SDESA holds its annual meeting in Aberdeen.^[12]

1894

November: The state women's suffrage amendment is defeated.^[13]

1895

September 16–17: WCTU and SDESA hold annual conventions in Pierre.^[12]

1896

December 3–4: SDESA holds their annual convention in Salem.^[12]

1897

October: The Union County Equal Suffrage Association is formed.^[10]
Suffragists work towards influencing the state legislature to pass another state amendment bill.^[13]

1898

July: Anna Simmons and Enma Cranmer lead the Equal Suffrage Day at Lake Madison Chautauqua.^[14]
November: The state women's suffrage amendment was defeated.^[13]^[14]

1899

September: SDESA holds a joint convention with the state WCTU in Madison.^[15]

20th century

1900s

1900

January 15: U.S. Senator, R. F. Pettigrew presents a petition for a federal suffrage amendment to the U.S. Senate.^[15]
September: SDESA holds their annual meeting in Brookings.^[15]

1901

The South Dakota Political Equality Association (SDPEA) is formed.^[16]
February 1: State WCTU members, Luella Ramsey and Philena Everett Johnson lobby for a state suffrage amendment.^[15]
Spring: SDESA organizes local Political Equality Clubs to help distribute literature and better reach more women.^[15]

1902

Women's suffrage convention called to be held in Watertown in October.^[16]

1903

Women's suffrage petition for a state suffrage amendment is rejected by the secretary of state.^[17]

1904

The South Dakota Prohibition Party's platform includes equal women's suffrage.^[15]

1906

Suffragists petition the state legislature to consider women's suffrage.^[17]

1907

March: The business committee of SDESA meets in Highmore.^[15]
September 17–18: SDESA holds its annual meeting in Pierre.^[15]

1908

SDESA raises money by the foot, literally asking people to send them enough pennies to fit on twelves inches of cardboard.^[15]

1909

Suffragists petition the state legislature to pass a women's suffrage amendment referendum.^[17]
June 18: SDESA holds their suffrage convention in Aberdeen.^[18]
November 3–5: The state suffrage convention is held in Sioux Falls.^[18]

1910s

1910

The Philip Suffrage Club is organized in Philip.^[10]
A major suffrage campaign is enacted, bringing in activists from around the state and country, including Anna Howard Shaw.^[18]
November: The women's suffrage referendum is defeated.^[19]^[20]

1911

January: Activists lobby the state legislature on women's suffrage.^[21]
February: Suffragists put forward the idea that the state constitution already allowed state and county offices.^[21]
The South Dakota Universal Franchise League is formed by Mamie Shields Pyle.^[8]

1912

January: Pro-suffrage newspaper, South Dakota Messenger, is first published.^[22]
July: A state suffrage convention is held in Huron.^[23]

1913

The women's suffrage amendment bill is the first to pass the legislative session.^[24]
March: South Dakota is represented in the Woman Suffrage Procession by marchers and a golden chariot.^[25]
July: SDUFL holds their annual meeting in Huron.^[25]

1915

Winter: A women's suffrage amendment is passed by the state legislature and will go to a voter referendum.^[26]

1916

Anti-suffragists become an auxiliary of the National Association Opposed to Woman Suffrage (NAOWS).^[27]
August 7: Suffrage Day is celebrated in South Dakota.^[26]
October: The South Dakota Association Opposed to Woman Suffrage began an anti-suffrage campaign that included Minnie Bronson.^[26]
November: Voter referendum on the women's suffrage amendment does not pass, but more people support women's suffrage this time.^[28]^[26]

1918

November 6: Women's suffrage passes with the passage of the Citizenship Amendment.^[29]

1919

December 4: South Dakota ratifies the Nineteenth Amendment.^[8]

1920s

1924

The Indian Citizenship Act is passed, but South Dakota refuses to follow the law and allow Native Americans, as U.S. Citizens to vote.^[30]

References

^ ^a ^b Handy-Marchello, Barbara (5 August 2020). "The road to women's voting rights in North Dakota". Williston Herald. Retrieved 2021-04-11.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Anthony 1902, p. 543.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "Timeline of South Dakota Suffrage, Before 1889". History in South Dakota. 2019-10-09. Retrieved 2021-06-03.
^ ^a ^b Robinson 1904, p. 598.
^ ^a ^b Anthony 1902, p. 544.
^ ^a ^b Anthony 1902, p. 546.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f "Timeline of South Dakota Suffrage". History in South Dakota. 2018-07-26. Retrieved 2021-05-09.
^ ^a ^b ^c "South Dakota and the 19th Amendment". U.S. National Park Service. Retrieved 2021-04-25.
^ Robinson 1904, p. 599.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e "Biographies of Women's Suffrage – A". History in South Dakota. 2018-09-01. Retrieved 2021-05-23.
^ Wittmayer 1981, p. 224.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f "Timeline of South Dakota Suffrage, 1891-1896". History in South Dakota. 2019-10-09. Retrieved 2021-06-03.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Robinson 1904, p. 601.
^ ^a ^b "Timeline of South Dakota Suffrage, 1897–1898". History in South Dakota. 2019-10-09. Retrieved 2021-06-03.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ "Timeline of South Dakota Suffrage, 1899-1908". History in South Dakota. 2019-10-09. Retrieved 2021-06-03.
^ ^a ^b Harper 1922, p. 585.
^ ^a ^b ^c Harper 1922, p. 586.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Timeline of South Dakota Suffrage, 1909-1910". History in South Dakota. 2019-10-09. Retrieved 2021-06-03.
^ Harper 1922, pp. 586–587.
^ Harper 1922, p. 587.
^ ^a ^b "Timeline of South Dakota Suffrage, 1911–1912". History in South Dakota. 2019-10-09. Retrieved 2021-06-03.
^ "About South Dakota messenger. (Pierre, S.D.) 1912–1914". Chronicling America. Library of Congress. Retrieved 2021-06-03.
^ Harper 1922, p. 588.
^ Harper 1922, p. 589.
^ ^a ^b "Timeline of South Dakota Suffrage, 1913–1914". History in South Dakota. 2019-10-09. Retrieved 2021-06-03.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "The 1916 Campaigns". History in South Dakota. 20 April 2020. Retrieved 2021-05-23.
^ Easton 1983, p. 216.
^ Easton 1983, p. 215.
^ Easton 1983, p. 225.
^ Schroedel & Aslanian 2015, p. 311.

Sources

Anthony, Susan B. (1902). Anthony, Susan B.; Harper, Ida Husted (eds.). The History of Woman Suffrage. Vol. 4. Indianapolis: The Hollenbeck Press.
Easton, Patricia O'Keefe (Fall 1983). "Woman Suffrage in South Dakota: The Final Decade". South Dakota History. 13 (3): 206–226 – via South Dakota State Historical Society.
Harper, Ida Husted (1922). The History of Woman Suffrage. New York: J.J. Little & Ives Company.
Robinson, Doane (1904). "History of Woman Suffrage in South Dakota". History of South Dakota Together With Personal Mention of Citizens of South Dakota. B. F. Bowen & Co. ISBN 9780598276575. {{cite book}}: ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)
Schroedel, Jean; Aslanian, Artour (2015). "Native American Vote Suppression: The Case of South Dakota". Race, Gender & Class. 22 (1–2): 308–323. JSTOR 26505340.
Wittmayer, Cecelia M. (Summer 1981). "'The 1889–1890 Woman Suffrage Campaign: A Need to Organize'". South Dakota History. 11 (3): 200–225 – via South Dakota Historical Society.