State Honoring 150th Anniversary Of Women’s Suffrage
Feb 12, 2020, 6:45 AM | Updated: 7:29 am
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – This week marks a significant time in Utah and the United States, as women were given the right to vote in the Beehive State 150 years ago.
The first woman to cast a vote in the nation, Seraph Young, was from Utah. She was a school teacher in Salt Lake City.
Gov. Gary Herbert and First Lady Jeanette Herbert will be paying tribute to Young and the Suffrage movement at a special event Wednesday at the Utah State Capitol.
A special exhibit is currently on display at the Capitol, honoring 50 trailblazers in women’s suffrage — from the first woman to cast a vote to the first female senator.
Happening today: Governor Gary Herbert pays tribute to the 150th anniversary of Women's Suffrage. Today marks the anniversary of when women were first given the right to vote in Utah and the first woman to cast a ballot was Seraph Young on February 14, 1870. pic.twitter.com/Gya80Slu9G
— Felicia Martinez (@FeliciaKSL) February 12, 2020
“Utah women were actually the first to cast ballots under an equal suffrage law in the United States,” said Katherine Kitterman, Better Days 2020 Historical Director. “That’s an exciting moment to remember.”
The exhibit also highlights powerful women in Utah’s Native American tribes as well as leading ladies in Asian-American and African-American history.
The Celebration of Utah Women’s Suffrage will be from 9 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. at the Utah State Capitol. It is free and open to the public.
There will be a Remembrance Walk for 150 Years of Voting Women on Friday from 11:45 a.m. – 2 p.m. The walk will start at City Creek Park and end at Memorial House in Memorial Grove Park. The walk is free and open to the public.
