Speak Up!

The Chicago Womxn’s Suffrage Tribute Committee, in conjunction with the Wabash Arts Corridor, announces the completion and dedication of Speak Up! by Dorian Sylvain. This work completes a monumental new mural series in Chicago’s loop celebrating the work of Illinois women activists to obtain the right to vote and recognizing the ongoing struggle for women’s … Continue reading Speak Up!

Chicago’s First Public Art Project to Honor Suffrage Leaders – On the Wings of Change – Makes its Debut in the Wabash Arts Corridor

On the Wings of Change The Chicago Womxn’s Suffrage Tribute Committee, in conjunction with the Wabash Arts Corridor (WAC) at Columbia College Chicago, is pleased to announce the completion of a new mural celebrating women and the work of local activists in obtaining the right to vote and the modern struggle for equality.  On the … Continue reading Chicago’s First Public Art Project to Honor Suffrage Leaders – On the Wings of Change – Makes its Debut in the Wabash Arts Corridor

National Votes for Women Trail Historical Marker for Catharine Waugh McCulloch – Dedication October 30th!

The Evanston Women’s History Project announces the dedication of the National Votes for Women Trail Marker for Catharine Waugh McCulloch on Saturday, October 30th at 11 am in newly renovated McCulloch Park. All are invited to join in honoring her! Catharine Waugh McCulloch was a lawyer, suffragist, political activist, and life-long supporter of women’s rights. … Continue reading National Votes for Women Trail Historical Marker for Catharine Waugh McCulloch – Dedication October 30th!

Alpha Suffrage Club – Votes for Women Trail Marker

The National Votes for Women Trail Marker will be dedicated on Friday, October 1st at 10 am at the corner of 31st and State Street in Chicago. All are welcome to attend. Founded in 1913 by Ida B. Wells and several other suffragists in Chicago, the Alpha Suffrage Club played a significant role in activating … Continue reading Alpha Suffrage Club – Votes for Women Trail Marker

Grace Wilbur Trout – Votes for Women Trail Marker

On Aug. 26, 2021 the League of Women Voters of Oak Park, the Nineteenth Century Charitable Association and the Historical Society of Oak Park-River Forest, celebrated the installation of the National Votes for Women Trail Marker honoring Grace Wilbur Trout. Trout was president of the Illinois Equal Suffrage Association (IESA) from 1912 to 1920, and … Continue reading Grace Wilbur Trout – Votes for Women Trail Marker

Naomi Talbert Anderson and the 1869 Suffrage Convention in Chicago

By Julia Flynn, Evanston Women's History Project, Research Volunteer In the late 1860's, the Civil War had ended and the Reconstruction Era was well under way, attempting to redress the inequalities arising from the legacy of slavery.  The Fourteenth Amendment passed in 1868 recognizing all US-born and naturalized individuals, including slaves emancipated after the Civil … Continue reading Naomi Talbert Anderson and the 1869 Suffrage Convention in Chicago

Women’s Suffrage in Decatur, Illinois

By Mark W. Sorensen Note: This guest essay comes to us from Mark Sorensen whose 2004 essay “AHEAD OF THEIR TIME: A brief history of woman suffrage in Illinois,” https://www.lib.niu.edu/2004/ih110604half.html provided the foundations for the research and work of this website. Thanks Mark for all your work to save and tell the Illinois suffrage story! … Continue reading Women’s Suffrage in Decatur, Illinois

Municipal Charter Reform in Chicago: Civic Duty, Women’s Role, and Women’s Suffrage

By Joan Linsenmeier, Evanston Women's History Project Research Volunteer. The Cities and Villages Act adopted by Illinois in 1872 specified how city governments could be structured, the actions they could take, and what powers were retained by the state. Many Chicagoans opposed this act. Chicago was much larger than other Illinois cities, more diverse, and … Continue reading Municipal Charter Reform in Chicago: Civic Duty, Women’s Role, and Women’s Suffrage

The National Woman’s Party In Chicago

Two important moments in National Woman's Party (NWP) history took place in Chicago in the early years of its existence, in addition to its founding in the city. This was partly because Illinois had given its women the right to vote on a select group of elections, including presidential elections, in 1913. With its large … Continue reading The National Woman’s Party In Chicago

The 1913 Suffrage Parade in Washington D.C. – An Illinois Perspective

By: EWHP 2020 Intern Annie Cebrzynski and EWHP Director Lori Osborne In 1913, the National American Woman’s Suffrage Association (NAWSA) announced a suffrage “procession” or parade to coincide with the March 4th inauguration of President Woodrow Wilson. The parade would take place the day before and the parade’s purpose, as stated in the official program, … Continue reading The 1913 Suffrage Parade in Washington D.C. – An Illinois Perspective