Longer interview below.
Along with the political conventions in late August, women also have been marking the 100th anniversaries of the right to vote and organizing.
On June 10, 1919, Wisconsin became one of the first states to vote in favor of ratifying the 19th Amendment. By August of 1920, 36 states had ratified the amendment, recognizing women's suffrage rights.
The League of Women Voters formed about the same time.
Dorothy Skye of the League of Women Voters of the Northwoods says getting the vote was a long, and at times, painful, journey to the ratification.
She says the idea of women voting was scoffed at...
"Wisconsin was having caucuses in 1846 and 1848 in preparation for becoming a state. The wise men gathered and had it as a bit of humor, somebody suggested maybe they ought to give women and African-Americans the right to vote. Well everybody had a 'ha-ha" and put that down right away..."
But after decades of calling for the right to vote, the legislature moved to ratify the 19th amendment in 1919. But oddly enough, women voting was not given a final approval until more than another decade had passed...
"But actually, the Wisconsin Constitution was not changed to give women the right to vote until 1934. So for the most part, Wisconsin dragged its feet a little bit as far as giving women the right to vote..."
We have a longer interview with Dorothy Skye of the League of Women Voters below.
