Casting a Historic Vote: Suffrage for Women in Illinois

A Road Scholar Program by Jeanne Schultz Angel

Ct per flash women voter 0623 new 20130623 Jane Addams Hull House
When

Oct 10, 2024
6:00pm–7:00pm

Where

Reddick Library
1010 Canal St
Ottawa, IL 61350

Cost

Free

Prior to 1920, women were denied the vote in the majority of elections in the United States. The struggle for enfranchisement began with the birth of our nation and was strategized differently in our local, state, and federal elections. Despite what people today believe to be a straightforward goal, the path to women’s suffrage was infused with sexism and racism and triggered a fear of feminism whose roots are still seen today.

While wealthy women advocates played a vital role in the suffrage movement, they were not the only ones seeking enfranchisement. From attorney Ellen Martin, the first woman to vote in Illinois, to Ida B. Wells, a woman who did not let racism silence her voice, women’s suffrage has been a battle hard fought by a diverse group of activists in Illinois.

Ellen A Martin Momument Lombard IL 600x469

This event is Free and Open to the public. For more information, please contact Laura Youngstrum at lyoungstrum@reddicklibrary.org.

Learn more about Jeanne Schultz Angel, this program, and how to book it here.