Why Was Utah The First Territory for *Women to Vote In?

In 1870, 50 years before the 19th Amendment was ratified, thousands of Utah women voted under equal suffrage law, a first in the nation. The bill, unanimously passed by an all male legislature, would grant voting to some women, while others would remain disenfranchised for generations. Nationally, leaders of the women’s suffrage movement hoped that Utah would blaze a path for the women’s liberation and enfranchisement. But the plan completely backfired and Utah women’s suffrage was taken away just 17 years after it was granted. Learn how Utah’s early suffrage movement was deeply entwined with polygamy and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

Hosted by Harini Bhat, Ph.D., In The Margins is a new PBS series that covers the history they didn’t teach in school, exploring obscure, yet captivating tales that offer unique insights into their time and place. Check out more from Harini Bhat @tilscience

Learn more about Utah women's civic and political history here:
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0:00 Intro
0:17 1870 Utah all-male legislature unanimously passes suffrage bill
1:44 The twin relics of barbarism and Republican plan to end polygamy
2:43 Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints women support of polygamy
3:51 Limitations to the Utah suffrage bill
4:13 Utah women, first to vote in the nation under equal suffrage law
5:06 National plan to end polygamy fails
6:04 U.S. Congress outlaws polygamy and passes anti-polygamy acts
6:31 Latter-Day Saint women organize and protest
6:40 Elizabeth Austin Taylor’s fight for Black women’s vote
7:02 Hannah Kaaepa’s fight for Native Hawaiian women’s right to vote
7:13 Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints ‘1890 Manifesto’ officially ends the practice of polygamy
7:23 Utah becomes a state and Utah Constitution allows some women to vote and hold political office
8:15 Racist barriers to the 19th Amendment and acts to keep people from voting
9:29 Recent history of state laws restricting voting rights
10:29 Percentages of women holding Senate and House seats today
11:09 Close

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[ardethellis]

"Rights are fluid." That hits home hard.

[Jesse__H]

As a lifelong (non-LDS) Utahan, this is an interesting topic I knew little about. Thanks!

[katherinealianoruiz]

This video was so damn powerful, I love the experts y'all had on, truly gave me chills ESPECIALLY in an election year!! Keep up the good work

[kidmohair]

"if voting was not so important,
there would't be people fighting so much
to take that right away from you".
and we now find ourselves facing just such a battle.
again.
vote.
as if your life depends on it.
because. it. does.

[sarah]

Fantastic episode! The interviews add so much. Thank you for this story

[nathansutterfield]

Thanks for covering this important topic. A mixed bag from my home state.

[oxpolitik]

Funny- was just having a conversation with my teenage son the other night about the origins of the Republican Party and the dissolution of the Whigs.

Proud to count so many of these strong pioneer women in the Utah Territory as my ancestors. I love reading their biographies and autobiographies. They consistently inspire me.

[kenster]

Fun fact: In New Jersey, women and non-white men technically had the right to vote between 1776 and 1807, as long as they owned property of a certain value.

[KGchannel]

I'm a descendant of polygamous Mormon women who fought for women's suffrage. When you compare their diary entries regarding polygamy to their public support of polygamy, it does seem that their position in public often did not reflect how they felt about it privately. There is pretty good evidence, not that their husbands told them how to vote on polygamy (that is too simplistic), but that they felt duty-bound by their leaders and personal religious convictions to promote a practice they privately had serious misgivings about.
But of course, that doesnt meant they should be deprived of the right to vote!

[lornenoland]

When they make it harder to vote, giving up is giving them what they want. Vote harder!

[clearstonewindows]

Hey Wyoming people. In 1869 Wyoming had around 9k (at least 1.5k of them LDS) people and Utah had almost 90k people. So yes... Wyoming Granted first Utah voted first. And Why. Because we've always bucked the trend of racism and Oppression. (sometimes not as much as we should, but way more than the rest of the "whites" ) My Grandma's Grandma was Martha Hughs and she had way more rights and "smarts" than any other woman at the time.
Wyoming Territory Women's Suffrage Law passed - December 10, 1869
Utah Territory Suffrage Law Passed - February 12, 1870
First Utah Territory Election with Women to vote - February 14, 1870
First Wyoming Territory Election with Women to Vote - September 6, 1870

[GeorgeWashingtonLaserMusket]

Rights are only rights as long as you defend them; never get lazy, never rest or they will strip of us our rights again starting with those who gained their rights most recently.

[markeastridge]

In 1957 Utah became one of the last states to allow Native Americans living on reservations the right to vote. Shit ton of voter suppression followed.

[lindacondray]

🇺🇸💙💙🇺🇸 The last few years have served as a PRIME example of what it means to lose rights once long held as firm. VOTE VOTE VOTE Your Freedom depends on it!

[Thukad]

It's funny to me that so many people in the comments repeat the same line of thinking as the historic Republicans, that there could be no way that these women could truly believe in polygamy. When the Republicans saw they were wrong they removed the right to vote, while some commentators have completely dismissed their agency and integrity.

Did some women privately not support polygamy? Undoubtedly, and perhaps more than would make some LDS comfortable. But I think it's intellectually lazy to assume that such a strong majority of Utah women who both voted the way they did and so passionately organized themselves politically did not actually have the beliefs of their voting and campaigning record.

I'm not saying that anyone needs to approve of polygamy, but in a world where we embrace the right of people to marry whoever they will I think it is at least appropriate to say that many of these women did actually feel the way they said.

[zombieloveserte]

Raised in Utah, and they did not teach this in schools.

[SylviaRustyFae]

I dont doubt that everyone got the extra meanin from the endin of this; as to what right is bein taken away from women... on top of the attempt to disenfranchise us, esp those of us who are more marginalised, like women of colour

[MeditativeMoments]

It says nothing to say that the republicans didn't want polygamy. The question is WHY they didn't want polygamy? Because it increased the cost of labor.

[LowellFay-uq]

In Wyoming Territory Women were allowed to vote on Dec 10, 1869 which beats February 12, 1870.

[logankearl]

Thanks for making an effort to use the correct name of the church. It helps build bridges rather creating walls.