A public dedication ceremony for an Indiana state historical marker commemorating the Indiana woman’s suffrage movement is scheduled for Monday, March 7, 2022. The program will begin at 10:00 am in the South Atrium of the Indiana Statehouse at 200 W. Washington St., Indianapolis, Indiana 46204. Following remarks by Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch, representatives from the Indiana Women’s Suffrage Centennial Commission, the Indiana Historical Bureau, and others, attendees will move outside to unveil the marker on the south side of the Statehouse grounds near Washington St.
The text follows for the state marker entitled “Indiana Woman’s Suffrage”:
Despite their role as engaged citizens and taxpayers, before 1920, women had little voice in the government whose laws affected them. Indiana women worked for suffrage for decades, starting with the 1851 formation of the Indiana Woman’s Rights Association. They advocated for suffrage through local, state, and federal women’s clubs and dedicated suffrage organizations. Hoosier suffragists represented diverse religious, political, ethnic, racial, and socioeconomic backgrounds. They petitioned the General Assembly, made bold speeches, marched in the streets, undertook automobile tours, and attempted to vote without a suffrage law. Through their innovative efforts, Indiana ratified the 19th Amendment on January 16, 1920.
The public is invited to attend the dedication ceremony for this state historical marker that commemorates the decades-long work of a diverse group of Hoosier suffragists and the ultimate passage of the 19th Amendment. The marker was spearheaded by the Indiana Women’s Suffrage Centennial Commission (IWSCC), chaired by Lt. Gov. Crouch, working in partnership with the Indiana Historical Bureau. IUPUI History faculty member, Dr. Anita Morgan, and IUPUI History alumni Casey Pfeiffer, Jill Weiss Simmons, and Nicole Poletika were integral to making this historical marker a reality.