This is a timeline of women's suffrage in Alaska. Non-native women in Alaska had the right to vote in school board elections starting in 1904. In 1913, the first Territorial Legislature passed the Shoup Suffrage Bill which gave non-native women the right to vote in all elections. Alaska Native women had a longer road fighting for their right to vote. First, they had to be declared citizens of the United States, but even after that happened in 1924, additional barriers were put in place. These included literacy tests and segregation. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 helped remove many barriers that Alaska Natives faced in exercising their right to vote.
20th century
1900s 1904
Alaska women are given the right to vote in school board elections.
1910s 1912
Representative Frank W. Mondell adds an amendment to a bill making Alaska an American Territory that would allow the territorial legislature to legislate equal suffrage for women. Cornelia Templeton Hatcher drafts a petition to the territorial legislature of Alaska for women's suffrage. Nellie Cashman is the first woman to vote in Alaska. The Alaska Native Brotherhood (ANB) is formed. 1913
The Shoup Woman Suffrage bill is passed in 1913, giving women the right to vote in Alaska if they are considered United States citizens. March 21: The Shoup Suffrage bill is signed into law. 1915
The Alaska Native Sisterhood (ANS) is formed. Alaska Natives are allowed to vote if they give up "tribal customs and traditions."
1920s 1924
The Indian Citizenship Act is passed. 1925
Alaska passes a literacy test to suppress the vote of Alaska Natives.
1940s 1943
Chinese Americans are able to vote after the passage of the Magnuson Act.
1945
Alaska anti-discrimination law ends segregation of Native Alaskans.
1950s 1950
The Anchorage League of Women Voters (LWV) is formed.
1959
The new state of Alaska has a more lenient literacy test.
1960s 1965
The Voting Rights Act (VRA) is passed which helps remove many voting barriers to Native Alaskans. 1967
The statewide LWV is formed.
1970s 1970 Literacy tests are ended in Alaska. 1975
The VRA is modified to provide voting information in Native languages.
See also
List of Alaska suffragists Women's suffrage in Alaska Women's suffrage in states of the United States Women's suffrage in the United States
References
Sources