This is a timeline of women's suffrage in Nevada. In 1869, Curtis J. Hillyer introduced a

women's suffrage Women's suffrage is the right of women to vote in elections. Beginning in the start of the 18th century, some people sought to change voting laws to allow women to vote. Liberal political parties would go on to grant women the right to vot ...

resolution in the

Nevada Legislature The Nevada Legislature is a bicameral body, consisting of the lower house, the Assembly, with 42 members, and the upper house, the Senate, with 21. With a total of 63 seats, the Legislature is the third-smallest bicameral state legislature in ...

which passed, though it would wait for another legislative session to approve a second time. The first women's suffrage convention took place in 1870 in Battle Mountain Station. Several women's suffrage resolutions are voted on, or approved, but none complete the criteria to become amendments to the

Constitution of Nevada The Constitution of the State of Nevada is the organic law of the state of Nevada, and the basis for Nevada's statehood as one of the United States. History The Nevada Constitution was created in 1864 at a convention on July 4 in Carson City. Th ...

. In the 1880s, women gain the right to run for school offices and several women run and win. Some

Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. N ...

women's suffrage groups work throughout the 1890s and hold more conventions. However, most suffrage work slows down or stops around 1899. The Nevada Equal Franchise Society (NEFS) was created in 1911. That same year, Attorney Felice Cohn writes a women's suffrage resolution that is accepted and passed by the Nevada Legislature.

Anne Henrietta Martin Anne Henrietta Martin (September 30, 1875 – April 15, 1951) (pseudonym, Anne O'Hara; nickname, Little Governor Anne) was a suffragist, pacifist, and author from the state of Nevada. Her main achievement was taking charge of the state legislatio ...

becomes president of NEFS in 1912. The next year, Cohn's resolution passes a second time and will go out as a voter referendum the next year. On November 3, 1914 Nevada voters approve women's suffrage. Women in Nevada continue to be involved in suffrage campaigning. On February 7, 1920 Nevada ratifies the Nineteenth Amendment.

19th century

1860s

1869 * Curtis J. Hillyer introduces an equal suffrage bill in the

. The bill passes to amend the state constitution, but it needs to pass a second vote in two years.

1870s

1870 * July 4: First women's suffrage convention in Nevada is held in Battle Mountain Station. 1871 * The equal suffrage amendment introduced by Hillyer doesn't pass the required second vote. 1873 * Another equal suffrage resolution is unsuccessfully proposed by Assemblyman Oscar Grey.

1880s

1881 * A joint legislative committee in the Nevada Legislature recommends amending the state constitution in favor of women's suffrage, but it fails to gain support. 1883 * Hannah K. Clapp leads the fight to see the Nevada Senate pass a women's suffrage bill, but the bill does not pass the Assembly. 1885 * A women's suffrage resolution passes in the Nevada Legislature and waits to be approved again in two years. 1887 * The women's suffrage resolution fails to pass. However, a resolution for women to run for school offices is passed and waits to be approved again in two years. 1889 * The School office resolution passes and women may run.

1890s

1890 * Several women are elected to school trustee positions and two women, Susan Miller and Josephine Taylor are elected as school superintendents. 1894 * November 30: The Lucy Stone Non-Partisan Equal Suffrage League is formed in

Austin, Nevada Austin is an unincorporated small town in, and former county seat of, Lander County, Nevada, United States. In 2020, the census-designated place of Austin had a population of 167. It is located on the western slopes of the Toiyabe Range at an ...

. 1895 * February: An equal suffrage bill passes the Nevada Legislature and waits to be approved a second time in two years. *May 17:

Susan B. Anthony Susan B. Anthony (born Susan Anthony; February 15, 1820 – March 13, 1906) was an American social reformer and women's rights activist who played a pivotal role in the women's suffrage movement. Born into a Quaker family committed to s ...

and

Anna Howard Shaw Anna Howard Shaw (February 14, 1847 – July 2, 1919) was a leader of the women's suffrage movement in the United States. She was also a physician and one of the first ordained female Methodist ministers in the United States. Early life Shaw ...

stop in Nevada on their way to California. *October 29–30: State suffrage convention held in Reno. The State Equal Suffrage Association is formed. 1896 * September 24: Second state suffrage convention is held in Reno. 1897 * The equal suffrage bill does not pass a second time. * October 30: Third state suffrage convention is held in

Carson City Carson City is an Independent city (United States), independent city and the capital of the U.S. state of Nevada. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the population was 58,639, making it the List of cities in Nevada, sixth largest ...

. 1898 * Women's suffrage petitions are sent throughout Nevada. 1899 * The fourth state suffrage convention is held. *The State Suffrage Association ceases to function.

20th century

1900s

1907 * Women are declared to be unable to serve as Deputy State Superintendents of Public Instructions by the Attorney General. * County school superintendents are abolished. 1909 * The Nevada Legislature approved a resolution to allow women to be elected or appointed school superintendents and notaries public.

1910s

1911 * February 4 : The Nevada Equal Franchise Society (NEFS) is organized. *Attorney Felice Cohn writes a bill for women's suffrage that passes the Nevada Legislature. *The 1909 school superintendent and notary bill is passed a second time, now it will go out as a voter referendum. *Cohn creates the Non-Militant Suffrage Association. 1912 *

becomes president of NEFS. *During the 1912 election, suffragists position themselves at the polls and remind voters to vote for candidates who endorse women's suffrage. *The voters approve the school superintendent and notary amendment. *NEFS canvasses to find out which politicians support women's suffrage and then campaign for them. 1913 * The 1911 women's suffrage resolution written by Cohn passes a second time and will go out as a

referendum A referendum (plural: referendums or less commonly referenda) is a direct vote by the electorate on a proposal, law, or political issue. This is in contrast to an issue being voted on by a representative. This may result in the adoption of a ...

. *October 30: The

Nevada Federation of Women's Clubs Nevada ( ; ) is a state in the Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. Nevada is the 7th-most extensive, t ...

(NFWC) officially endorses women's suffrage. 1914 * A Nevada Men's League is created with help from

James Lees Laidlaw James Lees Laidlaw (December 19, 1868 – May 9, 1932) was a banker, civic worker, and philanthropist. He supported the League of Nations and women's suffrage movement. He was president of the New York State Men's League for Women's Suffrage, whi ...

. *November: The Nevada Association of Women Opposed to Equal Suffrage (NAWOWS) is formed in Reno. *November 3: Cohn's suffrage amendment wins with a vote of 10,936 to 7,257. *The Washoe County Equal Franchise Society dissolves and forms the Woman Citizens' Club. 1915 * February: At the state suffrage convention in Reno, NEFS is dissolved and the Nevada Woman's Civic League is formed. 1916 * April 26: The

Suffrage Special The Suffrage Special was an event created by the Congressional Union for Woman Suffrage in 1916. The Suffrage Special toured the "free states" which had already allowed women's suffrage in the United States. The delegates were raising awareness o ...

stops in Reno. * April 27: Suffrage Special delegates meet with Governor

Emmet D. Boyle Emmet Derby Boyle (July 26, 1879 – January 3, 1926) was an American politician who was the List of Governors of Nevada, 13th Governor of Nevada. He was a member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party. Biography Boyle was born ...

in Carson City and attempt to interest women in a new women's party. * Martin accompanies the Suffrage Special for part of its journey. *Nevada women are able to vote for the first time in county and state elections. 1918 * August: The Woman Citizens' Club endorses suffragist Sadie D. Hurst for Nevada Assembly. * November: Hurst wins and becomes the first woman to hold office in the Assembly. 1919 * January: Hurst proposes a resolution to the United States Congress that would show Nevada's support for a federal suffrage amendment. It passes. *November: A conference is held in Reno with

Carrie Chapman Catt Carrie Chapman Catt (; January 9, 1859 Fowler, p. 3 – March 9, 1947) was an American women's suffrage leader who campaigned for the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which gave U.S. women the right to vote in 1920. Catt ...

speaking. The Nevada

League of Women Voters The League of Women Voters (LWV or the League) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan political organization in the United States. Founded in 1920, its ongoing major activities include registering voters, providing voter information, and advocating for vot ...

is formed on the last day of the convention.

1920s

1920 * February 7: A special session is called in the Nevada Legislature to speedily ratify the Nineteenth Amendment. Hurst presides over the proceedings and it is passed. 1924 * The

Indian Citizenship Act The Indian Citizenship Act of 1924, (, enacted June 2, 1924) was an Act of the United States Congress that granted US citizenship to the indigenous peoples of the United States. While the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution ...

is passed giving Native American women greater voting rights.

1930s

1939 *March: A bill sponsored by

Luella Kirkbride Drumm Luella Kirkbride Drumm (June 17, 1872 – February 11, 1962) was a 20th-century American politician and Democratic Party (United States), Democrat who was elected to the Nevada State Legislature in 1939. The representative for Churchill County, ...

to eliminate the state requirement that married women in Nevada “use the designation ‘Mrs.’” when “ egisteringto vote under their own first names" is approved by the Nevada Assembly.

References

Sources

* * * {{Authority control Women's suffrage in Nevada Timelines of states of the United States Suffrage referendums