This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. – Psalm 118:24
Wyoming made history today in 1889 when its state convention approved a constitution granting women the right to vote. The first U.S. state to extend voting rights to women, this unexpected progress in Wyoming surprised suffragists who had expected more progressive home states in the East to lead the way. The politicians and citizens of the emerging Western states proved to be supportive as other territories and states, including Utah and Washington, followed suit in granting suffrage to women. By 1914, a contrast had emerged, with most states west of the Rockies granting women the right to vote while, to the East, only Kansas embraced suffrage. Historians attribute this Western willingness to make women full and equal citizens to regional factors such as the recognition of pioneer women’s contributions, a more egalitarian spirit, and the hope that granting voting rights would attract more women to the region.
As the Lord leads, pray with us…
- For Director Wendy Chun-Hoon as she oversees the Women’s Bureau in the Department of Labor.
- For the president and his advisors as they consider plans and programs to increase equity and equality.
