Women in Wyoming were given the right to vote in 1869 — more than 50 years before the 19th Amendment was passed in 1920, giving all women in the US the right to vote. In 1869, Wyoming was a US territory and not yet a state. One of the main reasons for passing the bill is thought to have been to encourage women to move there and help increase Wyoming's population to at least 60,000 so that it would qualify for statehood. The bill was introduced in September 1869 and passed three months later, on 10 December 1869. About 1,000 women voted for the first time in September 1870, and in 1890, Wyoming became a state.
More about the women’s voting rights :
- In 1870, Wyoming became the first state to allow women to run for political office or to sit on juries.
- Three other states allowed women to vote before the 19th Amendment was passed: Colorado, Utah and Idaho.
- Tennessee cast the deciding vote when the 19th Amendment passed by one vote in 1920.