Sisters for Suffrage

How Utah Women Won the Vote

Open November 2019 through December 2021

Celebrating 150 years since Utah women became the first in the nation to vote under an equal suffrage law, this exhibition highlights the pioneering role of the Relief Society in the local and national woman suffrage movements. Intriguing historical artifacts, interactive kiosks, and hands-on activities for children make this exhibit an engaging experience for visitors of all ages. Come and learn the inspiring stories of Latter-day Saint women who organized to secure and defend women’s rights in Utah and across the nation!

Plan your visit

Learn More

Introduction
Get an overview of important events in the woman suffrage movement in Utah and across the nation.
Turning the Key
The organization of the Female Relief Society of Nauvoo marked “the beginning of better days” for women not only in Nauvoo but also throughout the country.
Industry and Self-Sufficiency
Home industry was emphasized among the Latter-day Saints, and Relief Society sisters proved themselves to be talented and capable contributors to the self-sufficient Utah society.
Polygamy and Politics
Protesting federal antipolygamy laws, Latter-day Saint women represented themselves to the nation as decisive, strong, and free, committed to their religious beliefs.
First to Vote
On February 14, 1870, several women voted in the Salt Lake City municipal election, becoming the first women to legally cast a vote in a United States election under an equal suffrage law.
Disenfranchisement
Because Latter-day Saint women did not use their newly won civic freedom to abolish polygamy, national lawmakers passed legislation that disenfranchised all Utah women—regardless of whether or not they practiced plural marriage.
Woman Suffrage Association of Utah
In January 1889 the Woman Suffrage Association of Utah was organized. Women throughout the territory were encouraged to educate themselves about political and civic matters.
On the World Stage
Several Latter-day Saint women participated in the 1893 World’s Congress of Representative Women, strengthening ties with national allies.
The Great Debate
With statehood on the horizon, a lengthy debate ensued over whether to include suffrage in the new state constitution.
Statehood and Suffrage
On January 4, 1896, Utah became the 45th state in the United States as well as the 3rd state in the country with equal suffrage.
Political Pioneers
With full suffrage in place for the 1896 state election, more women ran for office, including Dr. Martha Hughes Cannon, who became the first female state senator in the United States.
Suffrage for All
Utah’s pioneer female voters, along with a new generation of enfranchised women, worked to help women across the country enjoy the right to vote.
Enduring Legacy
With over seven million members in nearly 200 nations, the Relief Society continues to be a force for good.
Exhibit Book
Get the full story in the Sisters for Suffrage exhibition book available for purchase at the museum store.

Related Resources

Women of Conviction
Discover powerful discourses by Latter-day Saint women, from Lucy Mack Smith to Linda K. Burton, in the book <em>At the Pulpit</em> and on this companion website.
The First Fifty Years of Relief Society
Explore the fascinating and largely unknown history of the Relief Society in the 19th century.
Research Guide
Delve into the history of woman suffrage in Utah with resources in the Church History Library.
Church History Museum