In 1869, Illinois became the first state to have a statewide organization advocating for women’s voting rights: the Illinois Woman Suffrage Association. In 1913, Gov. Edward Dunne signed the Illinois Suffrage Act into law, giving women the right to vote for president, as well as municipal officers. This made Illinois the first state east of the Mississippi River to empower women to vote for president.
And on June 10, 1919, Illinois became one of the first states to ratify the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, which would give women the right to vote. After Tennessee’s ratification two months later, the 19th Amendment was added to the Constitution.
This editorial, part of a series of historic editorials we’re rerunning as part of the Tribune’s 175th anniversary celebration, appeared in this newspaper on June 11, 1919. The Tribune Editorial Board supported Illinois’ historic ratification, achieved, we noted, despite the “fears of the south” and the “conservatism of the east,” not to mention the ubiquitous “alarmed male.”
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