The Wyoming State Museum’s traveling exhibit, Suffrage Wyoming, will be on display at Western Wyoming Community College in Rock Springs from December 1st through May 31st, 2021. The exhibit is available for public view whenever the College is open.
The exhibit traces the history and impact of women’s suffrage in Wyoming from 1869 to the present day. As Wyoming celebrates its 150th anniversary of universal suffrage in 2019, and the 100th anniversary of national women’s suffrage in 2020, this exhibit examines both the major successes and long road ahead for women in politics.
The word “suffrage” is associated with women’s struggle to obtain the right to vote. In the United States, the national suffrage movement began in 1848 and lasted over seventy years with major interruptions such as the Civil War and World War I. In addition to securing women’s right to vote, the movement fundamentally changed the way women participated in national politics. On December 10, 1869, Wyoming became the first state to grant women the right to vote.
The following year, Wyoming appointed the first female Justice of the Peace, all-women jury, and the first female bailiff.
Wyoming has long placed great importance on women’s rights. In 1889 when Wyoming vied for statehood, it refused to join the union if the laws giving women equality were not upheld. Western is proud to support and display an exhibit that honors the women who fought for the rights enjoyed today. The State’s heritage should be celebrated and its citizens grateful to the bold women who fought to get the 19th amendment passed.
“Western is pleased to have Suffrage Wyoming displayed in our campus museum. This display, which chronicles the suffrage movement throughout the United States, really highlights Wyoming’s role in this movement. It is a very interesting exhibit, and all are encouraged to come up to the campus and take a look at it. We think you will enjoy it,” stated David Tate, Director of Community Relations at Western.
To learn more about Suffrage Wyoming, visit the exhibit in Western’s museum by the pendulum on the Rock Springs campus. For questions regarding the exhibit at Western, contact David Tate at dtate@westernwyoming.edu.
The Wyoming State Museum offers traveling exhibits for rent free of charge to museums, libraries, and other cultural institutions. For rental or exhibit information please contact Carlos Santos, Curator of Exhibits, at carlos.santos@wyo.gov.
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