Timeline of women's suffrage in Vermont

This is a timeline of women's suffrage in Vermont. Women's suffrage efforts began in the 1850s and intensified in the 1870s. The Woman's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) of Vermont was very active in women's suffrage efforts. Different strategies were used and finally, in 1917, women in Vermont were able to vote in municipal elections. Eventually, Vermont women were fully enfranchised by the Nineteenth Amendment.

1800s

1850s 1852

Clarina I. H. Nichols petitions the state legislature for women's right to vote, but was unsuccessful. 1854

Lucy Stone gives a women's rights speech in Randolph.

1858

A Free Convention held at Rutland creates a petition for women's suffrage, but the state legislature does not take up the issue.

1860s 1869

During the state constitutional convention, a women's suffrage amendment was proposed by the Vermont Council of Censors, first as a joke, but was later taken seriously by the State Legislature; the amendment still fails.

1870s

1870

January: The Vermont Woman Suffrage Association (VWSA) is formed by men. February: American Woman Suffrage Association (AWSA) members arrive in Montpelier to campaign, going on to other cities including Burlington, Montpelier, St. Albans, and St. Johnsbury. June: VWSA presents the women's suffrage issue to the Council of Censors' convention to update the state constitution. It is defeated with only one yes vote by legislator, Harvey Howes. 1872

Two women's suffrage proposals go to the state legislature: one for taxpaying women to vote in school elections and the other for full equal suffrage. Neither passes.

1879

The Vermont Woman's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) is formed and advocates for women's school suffrage.

1880s 1880

Women in Vermont are able to vote on "all questions pertaining to schools and school officers in cities, towns and graded school districts." The Vermont WCTU successfully advocated for women taxpayers receive the right to vote at school district meetings. 1881

Summer: AWSA plans a series of suffrage meetings for the state.

1883

September: Hannah Tracy Cutler speaks on temperance and women's suffrage in Cambridge. November 8-9: First state suffrage convention is held at St. Johnsbury. 1884

January: VWSA executive committee meets and announces they will petition the state legislature for municipal suffrage. May: Twenty nine Vermont towns have organized suffrage groups by May. November 22: A municipal suffrage bill is introduced to the state House. The Municipal Suffrage bill does not pass.

1886

November 3: A municipal suffrage bill is introduced to the state House and passes by 135 to 89. The suffrage bill does not pass. The Vermont WCTU endorses women's suffrage. 1887

The VWSA proposes a municipal suffrage bill. September: Frances Willard visits and speaks in Vermont.

1888

April: The Vermont Republican Party endorses women's suffrage. The Vermont WCTU publishes the series, "Resolutions Relating to Women's Rights, Temperance, and Other Reforms. November: Another Municipal Suffrage Bill is introduced to the state House, but does not pass. Defeated 37 to 192. The Prohibition Party forms a Vermont chapter that has backing from the state temperance and suffrage activists.

1890s 1890

The Vermont Methodists and Free Baptists come out in official support for women's suffrage. A Municipal Suffrage Bill is introduced to the state House and does not pass.

1892

Wendell Phillips Stafford introduces a Municipal Suffrage Bill in the state House, but it does pass the state Senate. Women are allowed to vote on school issues at town meetings. 1894

A Municipal Suffrage Bill is reintroduced in the state House by Hosea Mann, but it is defeated. 1896

The Municipal Suffrage Bill is introduced in the state Senate, where it passes, but it does not make it through the state House this time. VWSA has its greatest membership in this year at 276 members. 1898

Over 2,500 Vermont citizens present a petition for women's Municipal Suffrage to the state legislature, and though a bill is introduced, it is unsuccessful.

1900s

1900s 1900

Petitions for women's suffrage lead to another bill being unsuccessfully introduced into the state legislature. June 12-13: Henry Browne Blackwell speaks at the state suffrage convention held in Waterbury Center, Vermont. 1901

June 25-26: The state suffrage convention meets in Rochester. 1902

The Vermont Baptist Association comes out in favor of allowing women to vote on limited issues relating to prohibition. The Universalist Church in the state endorsed full equal suffrage for women. Both Municipal and Presidential suffrage bills are introduced into the state legislature, but do not pass. June 18-19: The state suffrage convention is held in West Concord. 1903

June 9-10: The state suffrage convention is held in Barton.

1904

June 22-23: The state suffrage convention is held in Woodstock. November: The state legislature considers a Municipal Suffrage bill, but it does not pass both houses. 1905

Around 10,000 copies of a pamphlet, "Opinions on Equal Suffrage by Vermont Men and Women," was distributed throughout the state. June 7-8: State suffrage convention takes place in Springfield. 1906

June 6-7: The state suffrage convention is held in Brattleboro. October 24: An attempt to change the statues for voting by substituting "person" for "male" passes the state House, but is later narrowly defeated in the state senate.

1907

June 13-14: The state suffrage convention takes place in Burlington. Anna Howard Shaw is a featured speaker. 1908

December: Annette W. Parmelee addresses the Vermont state house on the subject of women's suffrage and "taxation without representation."

1910s

1910

May 28: Parmelee requests a proposed amendment to the State Constitution for women's suffrage. A Municipal suffrage bill fails to pass in the state legislature.

1911

May: Parmelee and the Vermont WCTU stage a suffrage satire called "Man's Suffrage Bill," in Bristol. 1912

A bill to allow women to vote in town meetings about taxes and fund appropriates is introduced and passed in the Senate, but fails in the House.

1914

May: VESA hosts meetings and picnics in fourteen Vermont towns. 1915

January 21: A public hearing on bills for women's Municipal and Presidential suffrage is heard. February 2: Anti-suffrage speakers attend the senate hearing, the suffrage bill eventually fails.

1917

February 27: A municipal suffrage bill comes out of the state House committee. March 8: The same bill is reintroduced and amended. March 21: The bill passes. March 30: The bill is signed into law. Vermont women earned partial suffrage at the city and town level, where they could vote for officers, except for "road commissioners." November 10: L. J. C. Daniels marches and protests at the White House with other women in the NWP. 1919

February 20: Governor Percival W. Clement vetoes the presidential women's suffrage bill. February 24: Daniels and twenty one other women from the NWP protest President Wilson's Boston visit.

1920s

1920

April: Around 400 women demand that Governor Clement call a special session to ratify the Nineteenth Amendment; Clement refuses. July 1-2: The state suffrage convention is held in St. Albans. July 2: The Vermont League of Women Voters is formed.

1921

February 8: Vermont ratifies the Nineteenth Amendment.

Timeline of women's suffrage in Vermont

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