In February and March many Nebraskans like to go to the State Capitol to testify or talk with their senators about bills they support or oppose. This week I will be attending the Nebraska League of Women Voters/American Association of University Women legislative day. The Nebraska Library Association Advocacy Day is in March. As a naturalized citizen I consider voting a privilege and a responsibility, and February is a good time to be reminded of the struggle to extend those rights to every citizen.
Susan B. Anthony, anti-slavery campaigner and champion of women’s voting rights, was born February 15th, 1820. In 1878 she and Elizabeth Cady Stanton presented the U.S. Congress with wording for the
19th amendment to the Constitution, ratified 24 years later on August 20, 1920. “
The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the Unites States or by any State on account of sex”.
Nebraska Memories includes several images related to voting and elections. This
Butler County Gallery photo taken October 1940 shows a
window display by the David City Business and Professional Womens Club. It supports Franklin Roosevelt’s campaign. A photograph of a professionally dressed woman bears the caption “Business women in a democracy vote!”
A program from the
Polley Music Library collection also celebrates women’s right to vote.
On August 24, 1991 an
Equality Day Celebration was held in Lincoln to celebrate the 71st anniversary of the 19th Amendment. It was sponsored by the Women’s Information Network of Lincoln and the Nebraska Commission on the Status of Women. Senator LaVonne Crosby and former Senator Shirley Marsh attended . The afternoon included music, an art display, and Marlene Snyder impersonating suffragist leader
Clara Colby. I remember it as a great event!
Nebraska Memories also includes some photographs of election campaigning in Nebraska. This photo from the
Crawford Historical Society and Musuem collection is particularly interesting. Several men involved with the 1910
Jim Dahlman Campaign for Governor sit in a Franklin touring car. Mr. Dahlman did not win the race. Apparently
Doc Middleton was a supporter. Maybe that’s the reason he lost! Doc is in the back seat on the left side in the photograph, wearing a tall hat. Visit
Nebraska Memories to search for or browse through many more historical images digitized from photographs, negatives, postcards, maps, lantern slides, books and other materials.
Nebraska Memories is a cooperative project to digitize Nebraska-related historical and cultural heritage materials and make them available to researchers of all ages via the Internet. Nebraska Memories is brought to you by the Nebraska Library Commission. If your institution is interested in participating in Nebraska Memories, see
http://nlc.nebraska.gov/nebraskamemories/participation.aspx for more information, or contact
Beth Goble, Historical Services Librarian, or
Devra Dragos, Technology & Access Services Director.
