History of the League of Women Voters of Duluth
In celebration of the one hundredth year of the League of Women Voters, The Voter will include monthly historical articles about the LWV Duluth, beginning in the 1920s. Information will begin with the suffrage movement and the beginning of national LWV and then document, by the decades, a history of the Duluth chapter. Anyone who is interested in digging through old meeting minutes, scrapbooks and historical trivia is welcome to join Linda Vukson and Theresa O’Gara at the UMD Library where the LWV Duluth archive is located.
January 2020 Voter
After decades of struggle for suffrage for women, Carrie Chapman Catt spoke to Congress regarding the ratification of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution: “Woman suffrage is inevitable - you know it. There is one thing mightier than...political parties - the power of an idea when its time has come to move. The idea will not perish; the party which opposes it may.” (In 1919, Minnesota women gained the right to vote by state constitutional amendment. The 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution wasn’t ratified until August, 1920.)
From the suffrage movement and the First World War came the idea of a non-partisan organization that could provide political education and experiences to help contribute to citizen growth and assure the success of democracy. Carrie Chapman Catt proposed “ A League of Women Voters to finish the fight and aid in the reconstruction of the nation.” And so the League of Women Voters was born.
The first convention of the national LWV was held in Chicago in February, 1920, and focused on 3 important goals: to educate its members, work for needed legislation, and awaken the electorate to participation in government.
The first LWV chose topics of study to accomplish their goals that included:
In addition to domestic affairs, the LWV reasoned that a policy of isolation from world affairs was neither wise nor possible. The League supported the Permanent Court of International Justice (World Court), disarmament measures, treaties, and participation of the U.S. in economic and humanitarian conferences.
And so, the national LWV began with the Duluth chapter not far behind. Join in the research and continue reading in the next issue about the Duluth League in the roaring 20s!
After decades of struggle for suffrage for women, Carrie Chapman Catt spoke to Congress regarding the ratification of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution: “Woman suffrage is inevitable - you know it. There is one thing mightier than...political parties - the power of an idea when its time has come to move. The idea will not perish; the party which opposes it may.” (In 1919, Minnesota women gained the right to vote by state constitutional amendment. The 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution wasn’t ratified until August, 1920.)
From the suffrage movement and the First World War came the idea of a non-partisan organization that could provide political education and experiences to help contribute to citizen growth and assure the success of democracy. Carrie Chapman Catt proposed “ A League of Women Voters to finish the fight and aid in the reconstruction of the nation.” And so the League of Women Voters was born.
The first convention of the national LWV was held in Chicago in February, 1920, and focused on 3 important goals: to educate its members, work for needed legislation, and awaken the electorate to participation in government.
The first LWV chose topics of study to accomplish their goals that included:
- the functioning of representative government (eventually leading to voter services committees)
- collective bargaining, equal pay for equal work, and minimum wages
- creation of Federal Children’s Bureau and the Infancy and Maternity Act, care of delinquents and minors, public health education, compulsory education in every state, and citizen instruction in public schools
- legislation to regulate the meat packing industry
- uniform marriage and divorce laws, age of consent as 18, independent citizenship for married women, and jury service of women
In addition to domestic affairs, the LWV reasoned that a policy of isolation from world affairs was neither wise nor possible. The League supported the Permanent Court of International Justice (World Court), disarmament measures, treaties, and participation of the U.S. in economic and humanitarian conferences.
And so, the national LWV began with the Duluth chapter not far behind. Join in the research and continue reading in the next issue about the Duluth League in the roaring 20s!
February Voter - LWV Duluth and the Roaring 20s
| LWV Duluth and the Roaring 20s.pdf |
March Voter - Amelia Earhart, Carrie Chapman Catt and the LWV of Duluth in the 1930s
| Amelia Earhart Carrie Chapman Catt and the LWV of Duluth in the 1930s.pdf |