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Women in Minnesota began to organize for suffrage in the 1870s and could vote in school board elections starting in 1875. Fourteen women founded the Minnesota Woman Suffrage Association in 1881 and quickly grew in numbers into the 1890s. The MWSA gained enough support by 1893 that the state Senate considered and approved a resolution to remove the word “male” from the state’s voting requirements. However, the change did not pass the House before its session ended and the motion failed. Despite the setback, the women’s suffrage movement continued to grow in the 1910s and in 1919 Governor J. A. A. Burnquist supported a resolution to support the federal suffrage amendment being considered in the U.S. Congress. While the federal amendment was in debate Minnesota granted women the right to vote in presidential elections in January 1919. Just a few months later Congress passed the 19th Amendment and Minnesota voted to ratify on September 8, 1919.


Minnesota's ratification certification for the 19th Amendment (National Archives)

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Women waiting to vote in Minneapolis c. 1908, likely in a school board election

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Minneapolis suffrage parade, May 2, 1914. Scandinavians were the state's biggest immigrant group and they were prominent in the suffrage movement. There was a Scandinavian Woman Suffrage Association that worked with the Minnesota Woman Suffrage Association and in this picture women wear Scandinavian costumes and carry the Scandinavian flag. (Minnesota Historical Society)

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Suffrage meeting at Rice Park, St. Paul, 1914 (Minnesota Historical Society)

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Suffrage march in Madison, MN, c. 1916 (Minnesota Historical Society)

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Suffrage banner, c. 1918 (Minnesota Historical Society)

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Suffrage banner used by the St. Paul Political Equality Club (Minnesota Historical Society)

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Cameron, Linda A. "Ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment in Minnesota." MNopedia. Minnesota Historical Society. August 24, 2020. Accessed June 29, 2021. https://www.mnopedia.org/event/ratification-nineteenth-amendment-minnesota.

"Minnesota and the 19th Amendment." National Park Service. October 2, 2019. Accessed June 29, 2021. https://www.nps.gov/articles/minnesota-and-the-19th-amendment.htm.

Weber, Eric W. "Minnesota Woman Suffrage Association." MNopedia. Minnesota Historical Society. August 27, 2020. Accessed June 29, 2021. https://www.mnopedia.org/group/minnesota-woman-suffrage-association.

Image Sources(Click to expand)

"Minnesota Ratifies 19th Amendment." History, Art & Archives: United States House of Representatives. Accessed June 30, 2021. https://history.house.gov/Records-and-Research/Listing/lfp_016/

Weber, Eric W. "Minnesota Woman Suffrage Association." MNopedia. Minnesota Historical Society. August 27, 2020. Accessed June 29, 2021. https://www.mnopedia.org/group/minnesota-woman-suffrage-association.

"Minnesota and the 19th Amendment." National Park Service. October 2, 2019. Accessed June 29, 2021. https://www.nps.gov/articles/minnesota-and-the-19th-amendment.htm.

"Woman-suffrage meeting at Rice Park." MNopedia. Minnesota Historical Society. Accessed June 30, 2021. https://www.mnopedia.org/multimedia/woman-suffrage-meeting-rice-park.

"March for woman's suffrage." MNopedia. Minnesota Historical Society. Accessed June 30, 2021. https://www.mnopedia.org/multimedia/march-woman-suffrage.

"Woman-suffrage banner." MNopedia. Minnesota Historical Society. Accessed June 30, 2021. https://www.mnopedia.org/multimedia/woman-suffrage-banner.

"Woman-suffrage banner." MNopedia. Minnesota Historical Society. Accessed June 30, 2021. https://www.mnopedia.org/multimedia/woman-suffrage-banner-0.