Colorado Ratifies the 19th Amendment, December 15, 1919
Introduction
Text-to-speech Audio
Colorado became a state in 1876 and quickly held a referendum to vote on the issue of women’s suffrage. Colorado narrowly voted down women’s suffrage that year, largely due to fears that women voters would ban alcohol. Between 1876 and 1893 women organized into organizations such as the Colorado Non-Partisan Equal Suffrage Association to advocate for women’s rights. In a referendum vote in 1893 Coloradans voted by a margin of 6,000 votes in support for women’s suffrage. Colorado was the first state to enact women’s suffrage through a referendum. After Congress passed the 19th Amendment, Colorado ratified it on December 15, 1919.
Images
Colorado's ratification of the 19th Amendment is signed on December 12, 1919 (the state voted to ratify on December 12th and the governor approved the ratification on December 15th).
1893 referendum ballot. The choices of "Equal Suffrage APPROVED" and "Equal Suffrage NOT APPROVED" are at the bottom of the center column (History Colorado)
After Colorado women secured the right to vote, many continued to support the national suffrage movement. (National Woman's Party billboard in Denver, 1916)
Sources
"Colorado and the 19th Amendment." National Park Service. January 15, 2020. Accessed July 9, 2021. https://www.nps.gov/articles/colorado-and-the-19th-amendment.htm.
"Women's Suffrage Movement." Colorado Encyclopedia. Accessed July 9, 2021. https://coloradoencyclopedia.org/article/womens-suffrage-movement.
"Colorado and the 19th Amendment." National Park Service. January 15, 2020. Accessed July 9, 2021. https://www.nps.gov/articles/colorado-and-the-19th-amendment.htm.
Sell, Meredith. "Exhibit Highlights Colorado's Legacy of Women's Suffrage." 5280: Denver's Mile High Magazine. March 3, 2020. Accessed July 9, 2021. https://www.5280.com/2020/03/exhibit-highlights-colorados-legacy-of-womens-suffrage/.
"Women's suffrage in Colorado." Wikipedia. Accessed July 9, 2021. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women%27s_suffrage_in_Colorado.