South Dakota Ratifies the 19th Amendment, December 4, 1919

Introduction

Text-to-speech Audio

As a territory, South Dakota considered the issue of women’s suffrage several times starting in 1868, but only allowed women to vote in school district elections. In the 1889 state constitution the word “male” was used to define voting eligibility in the new state of South Dakota, however, it also called for the population to vote in 1890 on an amendment that would extend the vote to women. The South Dakota Equal Suffrage Association formed to advocate for the vote, but the amendment was defeated in 1890 (and again in 1895, 1898, and 1910). Campaigning for the vote proved difficult for suffragists because South Dakota was so rural and there was also a lot of opposition due to the connection between suffragists and the temperance movement. In the 1910s, Mary Shields “Maime” Pyle organized a new suffrage organization, the South Dakota Universal Franchise League, and separated the cause from the temperance movement. In 1916 suffragists tried to again get a constitutional amendment passed; the prohibition amendment on the ballot passed, but the suffrage amendment was again defeated. South Dakota women won the vote in 1918 with the “Citizenship Amendment” which removed the word “male” from the voting eligibility but added a requirement of U.S. citizenship. The following year South Dakota ratified the 19^th Amendment on December 4, 1919.

Images

South Dakota Equal Suffrage Convention in August 1890. The SD suffrage movement used the state motto "Under God the People Rule" and added "Women are People" to argue for women's voting rights in the state.

Alice and John Pickler were two of the earliest suffragists in South Dakota. As a congressman for the territory, John Pickler introduced a women's suffrage bill in 1885 and his colleagues called him "Petticoats Pickler" for his support of women's voting rights.

Emma Smith Devoe and her husband were suffrage leaders in South Dakota and founders of the South Dakota Equal Suffrage Association in 1890. The Devoes moved out of South Dakota after 1890 but Emma Devoe continued to support SD suffrage while continuing her reform work in other states.

Mary Shields Pyle, suffragist and founder of the South Dakota Universal Franchise League in 1911

Mrs. Tinsley and secretary at State Headquarters, Sioux Falls, South Dakota (Bryn Mawr College Special Collections, Carrie Chapman Catt Papers)

Table, Art, Vintage clothing, Tints and shades

Sioux Falls women's suffrage parade float, July 4, 1918. On the float women are impersonating countries where women had the ability to vote.

Sources

"Brief S.D. Suffrage Timeline." Her Vote. Her Voice. South Dakota Historical Society Foundation. Accessed July 9, 2021. https://www.hervotehervoice.org/timeline.

Hunhoff, Katie. "Our Suffrage Heroes." South Dakota Magazine. March 30, 2020. Accessed July 9, 2021. https://www.southdakotamagazine.com/our-suffrage-heroes.

"South Dakota and the 19th Amendment." National Park Service. August 15, 2019. Accessed July 9, 2021. https://www.nps.gov/articles/south-dakota-women-s-history.htm.

Image Sources(Click to expand)

"Women's suffrage in South Dakota." Wikipedia. Accessed July 9, 2021. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women%27s_suffrage_in_South_Dakota.

Gevik, Brian. "Suffrage Pioneers Alice and John Pickler." South Dakota Public Broadcasting. March 2, 2020. Accessed July 9, 2021. https://www.sdpb.org/blogs/images-of-the-past/suffrage-pioneers-alice-and-john-pickler/.