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| About The Foundation How To Contribute The 13 Historic Women Wyoming Women's History House The EnCana Lectures Events |
| Thirteen Wyoming Women helped to change the world, their nation and their state. |
| Louisa Gardner Swain First Woman To Vote With Full Equality to Men Louisa Gardner Swain made world history when on the morning of September 6, 1870 she became the first woman in the world to cast a ballot under laws giving women full equality to men. Her historic ballot was cast just one block from the site of the Wyoming Women's History House. The casting of her historic ballot caused the local newspaper, THE SENTINAL, to editorialize, "There was too much good sense in our community for any jeers or sneers to be seen on such an occasion". Louisa Swain was born in Norfolk, Virginia in 1800. She was raised in the Quaker faith, was married and the mother of three children. A few years after casting her historic ballot she and her husband moved to Maryland to live with their daughter. It was in Baltimore that Louisa Swain died in 1878 and she is buried in the Friends Burying Grounds on the Old Harford Road in Baltimore. The Wyoming Women's History House has three flags that fly from the front of the building. Each flag signifies a state of importance in the life of Louisa Swain. Virginia for the state of her birth. Wyoming for the state of her historic ballot. Maryland for the state of her death. |
Be it enacted by the Council and House of Representatives of the Territory of Wyoming: Sec. 1. That every woman of the age of twenty-one years, residing in this territory, may, at every election, to be holden under the laws thereof, cast her vote. And her rights to the elective franchise and to hold office shall be the same under the election laws of the territory, as those of the electors. Sec. 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage. Approved, December 10th 1869 |
| The Bill That Gave Louisa Swain the Right To Vote |
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