The Suffrage Movement In Iowa

In the twenty-first century, an emphasis has been placed on establishing the importance of women in American history, renewed interest has been generated in preserving the legacy of famous suffragists, such as Alice Paul or Carrie Chapman Catt, and their roles in the passage of the 19th Amendment in 1920, which awarded women full and equal voting rights at the national level. However, considerably less attention has been given to ways in which Midwestern women participated in the 19th century suffragist movement. Less clear still, is how Iowa women specifically fit within the larger framework of national suffrage. While authors like Louise Noun have provided an introduction to the stories of Iowa’s more famous suffragists, in order to truly understand the suffrage movement in Iowa, one must go beyond mere biographies and instead look to formulate a more complete picture of how Iowa suffragists and their organizations worked to reach everyday women across the Midwest . Throughout the 1860s, suffrage movements in Iowa were often limited to local townships, yet several women began to look to expand suffrage societies …show more content…
The newspaper allows for an in-depth examination of the arguments utilized by conservative suffragists. Of particular note, is how the newspaper reported on suffrage events in Iowa and around the country leading up to the establishment of partial suffrage in Iowa in 1894. The Woman’s Standard’s reporting on partial suffrage, which allowed Iowa women to vote on municipal issues, but restricted them from voting in candidate elections. In addition, The Woman’s Standard can be examined for its treatment of notable suffragist figures, often openly taking issue with the actions of more liberal