Ninety Years Ago, A Different Campaign

As November elections draw near, residents of Connecticut have no doubt noticed the growing number of radio and television ads promoting political candidates running for office. Each has his or her own platform, and catchy slogans used to grab the attention of voters seem to be everywhere. While female politicians are not a rarity to today’s society, less than a century ago women did not even have the right to vote in the state of Connecticut.

August 18 of this year marks the 90th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th amendment to the United States Constitution. Since receiving the right to vote in 1920, women in Connecticut and the United States have seen their rights as citizens evolve and change greatly. To commemorate the event the Connecticut Historical Society will be exhibiting a variety of items telling the story of those women who fought for the right to vote.

In 1869, the Connecticut Woman Suffrage Association (CWSA) became the first official organization to fight for suffrage (the right to vote) in Connecticut. By 1910, the women’s movement in the state had experienced increased activity and the numbers of individuals supporting woman suffrage continued to grow. Like the suffragists before them, this new generation of women argued that equal participation in government was a natural right, and they showed interest in a wide range of issues including child labor, prostitution, political corruption, and fair work regulations.

The CWSA, along with other Connecticut based organizations, regularly submitted bills and testified at legislative hearings demanding equal rights, and made its members’ commitment to suffrage known through organizing national demonstrations. Through the cooperation of various groups and individuals, the state of Connecticut helped promote woman suffrage for the nation.

After years of demanding equal suffrage, women won the hard fought struggle to vote in Connecticut and across the United States. This November female voters can remember that they owe their right to cast a vote to the suffragists who preceded them.

An exhibition celebrating the women’s suffrage movement in Connecticut will be on view on the first floor of The Connecticut Historical Society starting on August 13, 2010.