Western states were some of the first to grant women’s
suffrage. We’ve already discussed
Wyoming and Utah suffrage. Now let's take a look at California.
California suffrage began in 1911 but like other suffragists, they knew that real change wouldn’t come until all women could vote in all elections, especially in electing the president of the United States. California women, while happy to have gained some rights were still invested in the longer fight for women’s suffrage.
California suffrage began in 1911 but like other suffragists, they knew that real change wouldn’t come until all women could vote in all elections, especially in electing the president of the United States. California women, while happy to have gained some rights were still invested in the longer fight for women’s suffrage.
One California suffragist, Selina Solomons (1862-1942) left a written record of
the California suffrage movement and how suffrage was won. Solomons’ book, How We Won the Vote in California: A True Story of the Campaign of
1911 (1912) details the fight for women’s suffrage in the Golden State. In this work, aside from providing a history
of the movement, she names
women who worked to ensure the success of the passage of women’s suffrage as well as the names of some of the beneficiaries including a 90-year-old Los Angeles woman who cast her
first vote while confined to a wheelchair. “Mrs. Sabella C. Pease was wheeled
to the polls in an invalid's chair and cast her first ballot at the age of
ninety, which was indeed to enjoy an "honored old age!"”
This book is available for free from Internet Archive and you can browse or search it for a specific name.
This book is available for free from Internet Archive and you can browse or search it for a specific name.
Now, here's my favorite part about finding those early California women voters. Some of the records are online.
To find California Voter Registrations, go to Ancestry.com. Click on Search at the top black toolbar. In the drop-down menu click on All Collections. Now scroll to the bottom and click on California in the map. You will see this page.
You can now peruse any database that has to do with California including voter records.
These records provide you a name, occupation, address and political affiliation. For women, they provide marital status (though you wouldn't know if she's actually a widow) with the addition of Mrs. and Miss.
You can learn more about this collection on Ancestry.com from the California State Library.
To find California Voter Registrations, go to Ancestry.com. Click on Search at the top black toolbar. In the drop-down menu click on All Collections. Now scroll to the bottom and click on California in the map. You will see this page.
You can now peruse any database that has to do with California including voter records.
 |
| 1914 San Diego County. California State Library, available on Ancestry.com. |
These records provide you a name, occupation, address and political affiliation. For women, they provide marital status (though you wouldn't know if she's actually a widow) with the addition of Mrs. and Miss.
You can learn more about this collection on Ancestry.com from the California State Library.
No comments:
Post a Comment