Preserving Women’s Suffrage History.
Women in the United States demanded the right to vote decades before it was officially granted. Today, on August 18, 2020, we celebrate the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment of the Constitution, which granted women that right. (1)
It was certified that the 19th Amendment became part of the US Constitution on August 26, 1920. (2)
Despite this success, there was still a lot of progress to be made in advancing the social status of all women in Michigan and across the United States. Due to racial inequalities in many states, there were laws and policies that denied African American, Native American and other minority women the right to vote, regardless of their contributions to the suffrage movement. For these women, voting became easier and more equitable after the passing of the 1965 Voting Rights Act. (2)
Artifacts in the Grand Rapids Public Museum’s Collections connect us to the history of the suffrage movement in Grand Rapids and Michigan and the local individuals and events that played a significant role in the national movement. Check out the following highlights from the Museum’s Collection below. If these spark your curiosity, visit the GRPM’s online gallery of suffrage history to learn more.
Handbag used by Grand Rapids Suffragist Emily Burton Ketcham, Circa 1880.
According to the family of Emily Burton Ketcham (1838 – 1907), this handbag accompanied her while on travels through western states. Ketcham started her work as a suffragist in 1873 during the initial effort to remove gender as a qualification for voting in Michigan. During her work on this campaign, Ketcham developed life-long friendships with Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony. Because of Ketcham’s friendships with Stanton and Anthony, and her organizational skills, Ketcham played a key role in the National American Woman Suffrage Association’s annual convention coming to Grand Rapids in 1899.
Autograph from Susan B. Anthony, June 1, 1888.
Part of a collection of early autographs, this came from American social reformer and women’s rights activist, Susan B. Anthony. Her message states, “Pecuniary independence is the first need of every woman,” signed Susan B. Anthony, Rochester, N.Y., June 1, 1888. Meaning she felt women needed financial independence. Anthony played a pivotal role in the women’s suffrage movement and this signature demonstrates that Grand Rapids was well-connected with the national movement.
Grand Rapids Press Suffrage Edition, May 2, 1914.
This unique issue of the Grand Rapids Press from May 2, 1914 was a takeover of the edition by Grand Rapids suffragists. The illustrations throughout were particularly striking. For example, the regular Grand Rapids Press masthead was replaced with a row of women, each representing a state with full suffrage. Michigan, however, is in chains trailing behind, symbolizing Michigan had not yet received the vote. (4)
"A Woman Living Here Has Registered to Vote" Grand Rapids Poster Circa 1921.
This poster was given to a first-time Grand Rapids female voter in 1920 and reads, “A woman living here has registered to vote, thereby assuming the responsibility of citizenship.” This well-preserved poster was recognized as an important souvenir with the original owner recording who she first voted for – President Warren G. Harding, in November 1920.
Grand Rapids Equal Franchise Club Pennant, Circa 1920.
This pennant is from the Grand Rapids Equal Franchise Club, which was formed in April 1910. The club spread literature and information about suffrage, which helped build local support for the movement. In 1914, the club sponsored a song and essay contest to further promote their efforts. Michigan was an early supporter of women’s right to vote. (3)
By: Andrea Melvin, the GRPM’s Collections Curator
(1) National Constitution Center. “19th Amendment: Women’s Right to Vote.” National Constitution Center. 2020. https://constitutioncenter.org/interactive-constitution/amendment/amendment-xix.
(2) National Parks Services. “Between Two Worlds: Black Women and the Fight for Voting Rights.” National Parks Services. Last modified June 10, 2020. https://www.nps.gov/articles/black-women-and-the-fight-for-voting-rights.htm.
(3) Grand Rapids Public Library. “Finding Aid for the Grand Rapids Public Library Woman’s Suffrage collection Collection 127.” Grand Rapids Public Library. Last modified March 18, 2019. https://www.grpl.org/uploads/grhsc/127.pdf.
(4) Greater Grand Rapids History Council. “Taking Center Stage: Women’s Suffrage in Grand Rapids and Michigan.” Greater Grand Rapids History Council. 2019. https://www.ggrwhc.org/suffrage-grand-rapids/.