Equal Suffrage
Colorado gave women the right to vote in 1893. Getting this right took a few attempts. In 1876, the year Colorado was admitted to the Union, the authors of the state constitution did not include equal voting rights in the document. Instead, they said, let’s put it to vote next year. Susan B Anthony travelled the state in support, yet that referendum failed by a wide margin. But Colorado women continued to organize over the next 16 years, so much so that the next time men voted on “equal suffrage,” the measure passed by 6000 votes statewide. That made the Delta Independent wonder about women’s new power: “Many questions arise as to what effect it will have. How will they vote? What percentage will vote? Will they want office?” Yes. The very next year, 3 women were elected to the state legislature.
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Colorado Postcards are snapshots of our colorful state in sound. They give brief insights into our people and places, our flora and fauna, and our past and present, from every corner of Colorado. See more postcards.
