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Join the League of Women Voters of Wheaton, the Wheaton Public Library, and the City of Wheaton Community Relations Commission in honor of Women's History Month as we learn more about women's suffrage in Illinois. Prior to 1920, women were denied the vote in the majority of elections in the United States. The struggle for enfranchisement began with the birth of our nation and was strategized differently in our local, state, and federal elections. Despite what people today believe to be a straightforward goal, the path to women’s suffrage was infused with sexism and racism and triggered a fear of feminism whose roots are still seen today. While wealthy women advocates played a vital role in the suffrage movement, they were not the only ones seeking enfranchisement. From attorney Ellen Martin, the first woman to vote in Illinois, to Ida B. Wells, a woman who did not let racism stop her voice, women’s suffrage has been a battle hard fought by a diverse group of activists in Illinois. 

Presented by Jeanne Schultz Angel, Director of Learning Experiences & Historical Resources for Naper Settlement. She is a nonprofit administrator and museum professional with more than 24 years working within cultural institutions.