Timeline

From the 1850s onward women and their supporters fought for the right to serve their communities as elected officials. Along with the right to vote, the right be elected to political office is a fundamental marker of equal rights and U.S. citizenship. The timelines here mark out some of the milestones in the history in women's fight for political equality between 1850 and 1920. The timelines also include some of the individual women who led the way. As these rights were determined by each state or territory before 1920 and the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment to the federal Constitution, some of the timelines here follow the story in various states.

Timeline Filters

Electoral Milestones

Sort By

1853
Olive Rose is elected County Register of Deeds, for Lincoln County, Maine. Rose served in the office for about six years
1853

Related Candidates
1854
Adeline T. Swift is elected to the town Board of Supervisors of Penfield Ohio, but doesn't serve as women are not eligible to elected offices in the state.
1854

Related Candidates
Marietta P. Patrick and Lydia Hall, both teachers, were elected to the school board of Ashfield, Massachusetts
1854

Related Candidates
1866
Woman-suffrage activist Elizabeth Cady Stanton offered her name as a candidate for the U.S. Congress. She is the first woman to campaign for a federal office
1866

Related Candidates
1869
Male voters elect Julia Addington as County Superintendent of Schools for Mitchell County, Iowa. She is the second woman in the US to be elected to a county-wide office.
1869

Related Candidates
Wyoming Territory grants women full suffrage, but they are only successful in election to school offices
1869

Related Candidates
1871
Women are eligible for election to school boards in New Hampshire, and at least 38 women campaign for seats during the 1870s.
1871
1873
Women in Pennsylvania can be elected to school boards throughout the state. 34 women run for seats in elections the following year, and at least 15 win their races.
1873

Related Candidates
1874
Women in California are eligible to run for school boards and county superintendent offices
1874

Related Candidates
1875
After court battles and legislative fights women are elected to the Boston School Committee
1875

Related Candidates
Agnes Hosford was the first woman elected as County Superintendent of Schools in Wisconsin. By the end of the decade at least a dozen women had campained for elected office.
1875

Related Candidates
1876
Colorado women gain school suffrage and electoral rights to school offices
1876

Related Candidates
1880
Women in some New York cities can run for local school boards. New York City is not one of those cities
1880

Related Candidates
1882
Women in Tennessee campaign for school offices
1882

Related Candidates
1883
Women in Nebraska gain school suffrage and the right to be elected to school offices. At least nine women in the state had already campaigned for office between 1877 and 1882
1883

Related Candidates
1887
Connecticut allows women to be elected to local school boards. In 1888 three women campaign for the office
1887

Related Candidates
1890
Oklahoma Territory grants women school suffrage and allows election to school and some other local offices
1890

Related Candidates
1891
In Illinois, women are allowed to run for the state-wide office of University Trustee. Louisa Flowers' campaign succeeds due to an alliance between white and African American women's groups interested in higher education for all.
1891

Related Candidates
1894
In 1895, one year after gaining state-wide school suffrage, at least a dozen Ohio women run for local school boards. By the end of the decade at least 17 women have run for office.
1894

Related Candidates
1895
Women in Utah regain full suffrage rights and immediately at least a dozen women run for county-wide and state wide offices
1895

Related Candidates
1900
By the end of the 19th century women had run over 2,200 campaigns for local and state offices, and the vast majority were successful
1900
1904
Women in Texas win election campaigns for the county office of register of deeds and Clerk of District Courts
1904

Related Candidates
1910
Women in Washington State regain full suffrage after battling for over 25 years
1910

Related Candidates
1911
In 1911 women in California finally gain full suffrage and several women run for local and state offices in the next election
1911

Related Candidates
1912
Oregon activists finally gain full suffrage and women campaign for local and state-wide offices
1912

Related Candidates
Kansas women win full suffrage rights in 1912. Between the 1870s and 1911 over 700 women had already been elected to local and county offices
1912

Related Candidates
Colorado voted to require equal numbers of male and female elected Committee leaders for each precinct and for all political parties.
1912
1914
Montana activists are successful in gaining full suffrage. Two years later a coalition of labor, farmers, women, and progressives elect Jeannette Rankin as the first woman to serve in Congress
1914

Related Candidates
Nevada women win full suffrage and begin running for local and state-wide offices
1914

Related Candidates
1917
Women in New York state win full suffrage, the first state on the East Coast. Women run for local and state-wide offices in the next election
1917

Related Candidates
1918
South Dakota and Oklahoma grant women full suffrage. By that time over 150 women in South Dakota, and 79 women in Oklahoma had campaigned for office
1918

Related Candidates

Timeline

Timeline Filters

Olive Rose is elected County Register of Deeds, for Lincoln County, Maine. Rose served in the office for about six years1853

1854

Adeline T. Swift is elected to the town Board of Supervisors of Penfield Ohio, but doesn't serve as women are not eligible to elected offices in the state.1854

Marietta P. Patrick and Lydia Hall, both teachers, were elected to the school board of Ashfield, Massachusetts1854

1866

Woman-suffrage activist Elizabeth Cady Stanton offered her name as a candidate for the U.S. Congress. She is the first woman to campaign for a federal office1866

1869

Male voters elect Julia Addington as County Superintendent of Schools for Mitchell County, Iowa. She is the second woman in the US to be elected to a county-wide office.1869

Wyoming Territory grants women full suffrage, but they are only successful in election to school offices1869

1871

Women are eligible for election to school boards in New Hampshire, and at least 38 women campaign for seats during the 1870s.1871

1873

Women in Pennsylvania can be elected to school boards throughout the state. 34 women run for seats in elections the following year, and at least 15 win their races.1873

1874

Women in California are eligible to run for school boards and county superintendent offices1874

1875

After court battles and legislative fights women are elected to the Boston School Committee1875

Agnes Hosford was the first woman elected as County Superintendent of Schools in Wisconsin. By the end of the decade at least a dozen women had campained for elected office.1875

1876

Colorado women gain school suffrage and electoral rights to school offices1876

1880

Women in some New York cities can run for local school boards. New York City is not one of those cities1880

1882

Women in Tennessee campaign for school offices1882

1883

Women in Nebraska gain school suffrage and the right to be elected to school offices. At least nine women in the state had already campaigned for office between 1877 and 18821883

1887

Connecticut allows women to be elected to local school boards. In 1888 three women campaign for the office1887

1890

Oklahoma Territory grants women school suffrage and allows election to school and some other local offices1890

1891

In Illinois, women are allowed to run for the state-wide office of University Trustee. Louisa Flowers' campaign succeeds due to an alliance between white and African American women's groups interested in higher education for all.1891

1894

In 1895, one year after gaining state-wide school suffrage, at least a dozen Ohio women run for local school boards. By the end of the decade at least 17 women have run for office.1894

1895

Women in Utah regain full suffrage rights and immediately at least a dozen women run for county-wide and state wide offices1895

1900

By the end of the 19th century women had run over 2,200 campaigns for local and state offices, and the vast majority were successful1900

1904

Women in Texas win election campaigns for the county office of register of deeds and Clerk of District Courts1904

1910

Women in Washington State regain full suffrage after battling for over 25 years1910

1911

In 1911 women in California finally gain full suffrage and several women run for local and state offices in the next election1911

1912

Oregon activists finally gain full suffrage and women campaign for local and state-wide offices1912

Kansas women win full suffrage rights in 1912. Between the 1870s and 1911 over 700 women had already been elected to local and county offices1912

Colorado voted to require equal numbers of male and female elected Committee leaders for each precinct and for all political parties.1912

1914

Montana activists are successful in gaining full suffrage. Two years later a coalition of labor, farmers, women, and progressives elect Jeannette Rankin as the first woman to serve in Congress1914

Nevada women win full suffrage and begin running for local and state-wide offices1914

1917

Women in New York state win full suffrage, the first state on the East Coast. Women run for local and state-wide offices in the next election1917

1918

South Dakota and Oklahoma grant women full suffrage. By that time over 150 women in South Dakota, and 79 women in Oklahoma had campaigned for office1918

Olive Rose is elected County Register of Deeds, for Lincoln County, Maine. Rose served in the office for about six years
1853

Adeline T. Swift is elected to the town Board of Supervisors of Penfield Ohio, but doesn't serve as women are not eligible to elected offices in the state.
1854

Marietta P. Patrick and Lydia Hall, both teachers, were elected to the school board of Ashfield, Massachusetts
1854

Woman-suffrage activist Elizabeth Cady Stanton offered her name as a candidate for the U.S. Congress. She is the first woman to campaign for a federal office
1866

Male voters elect Julia Addington as County Superintendent of Schools for Mitchell County, Iowa. She is the second woman in the US to be elected to a county-wide office.
1869

Wyoming Territory grants women full suffrage, but they are only successful in election to school offices
1869

Women are eligible for election to school boards in New Hampshire, and at least 38 women campaign for seats during the 1870s.
1871

Women in Pennsylvania can be elected to school boards throughout the state. 34 women run for seats in elections the following year, and at least 15 win their races.
1873

Women in California are eligible to run for school boards and county superintendent offices
1874

After court battles and legislative fights women are elected to the Boston School Committee
1875

Agnes Hosford was the first woman elected as County Superintendent of Schools in Wisconsin. By the end of the decade at least a dozen women had campained for elected office.
1875

Colorado women gain school suffrage and electoral rights to school offices
1876

Women in some New York cities can run for local school boards. New York City is not one of those cities
1880

Women in Tennessee campaign for school offices
1882

Women in Nebraska gain school suffrage and the right to be elected to school offices. At least nine women in the state had already campaigned for office between 1877 and 1882
1883

Connecticut allows women to be elected to local school boards. In 1888 three women campaign for the office
1887

Oklahoma Territory grants women school suffrage and allows election to school and some other local offices
1890

In Illinois, women are allowed to run for the state-wide office of University Trustee. Louisa Flowers' campaign succeeds due to an alliance between white and African American women's groups interested in higher education for all.
1891

In 1895, one year after gaining state-wide school suffrage, at least a dozen Ohio women run for local school boards. By the end of the decade at least 17 women have run for office.
1894

Women in Utah regain full suffrage rights and immediately at least a dozen women run for county-wide and state wide offices
1895

By the end of the 19th century women had run over 2,200 campaigns for local and state offices, and the vast majority were successful
1900

Women in Texas win election campaigns for the county office of register of deeds and Clerk of District Courts
1904

Women in Washington State regain full suffrage after battling for over 25 years
1910

In 1911 women in California finally gain full suffrage and several women run for local and state offices in the next election
1911

Oregon activists finally gain full suffrage and women campaign for local and state-wide offices
1912

Kansas women win full suffrage rights in 1912. Between the 1870s and 1911 over 700 women had already been elected to local and county offices
1912

Colorado voted to require equal numbers of male and female elected Committee leaders for each precinct and for all political parties.
1912

Montana activists are successful in gaining full suffrage. Two years later a coalition of labor, farmers, women, and progressives elect Jeannette Rankin as the first woman to serve in Congress
1914

Nevada women win full suffrage and begin running for local and state-wide offices
1914

Women in New York state win full suffrage, the first state on the East Coast. Women run for local and state-wide offices in the next election
1917

South Dakota and Oklahoma grant women full suffrage. By that time over 150 women in South Dakota, and 79 women in Oklahoma had campaigned for office
1918