Petition from the Citizens of Massachusetts in Support of Woman's Suffrage
5/26/1880
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Petitions like this one were widely used in the campaign for women’s voting rights. Congress received thousands from citizens in support of – and against – allowing women to vote.
With this petition, men and women from Salem, Massachusetts, asked Congress to pass an amendment giving all citizens the right to vote, regardless of their sex. On May 26, 1880, it was forwarded to the committee on the Judiciary.
Congress responded to these types of petitions, sort of. Beginning in the 1860s, dozens of woman suffrage amendments were proposed. In 1888, one lawmaker proposed that widows and spinsters should be allowed to vote, suggesting that married women were "represented" by their husbands.
With this petition, men and women from Salem, Massachusetts, asked Congress to pass an amendment giving all citizens the right to vote, regardless of their sex. On May 26, 1880, it was forwarded to the committee on the Judiciary.
Congress responded to these types of petitions, sort of. Beginning in the 1860s, dozens of woman suffrage amendments were proposed. In 1888, one lawmaker proposed that widows and spinsters should be allowed to vote, suggesting that married women were "represented" by their husbands.
This primary source comes from the Records of the U.S. Senate.
National Archives Identifier: 595454
Full Citation: Petition from the Citizens of Massachusetts in Support of Woman's Suffrage; 5/26/1880; Petitions and Memorials, Resolutions of State Legislatures, and Related Documents which were Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary during the 46th Congress; (SEN46A-H11.2); Committee Papers, 1816 - 2011; Records of the U.S. Senate, Record Group 46; National Archives Building, Washington, DC. [Online Version, https://www.docsteach.org/documents/document/petition-massachusetts-suffrage, April 26, 2024]Rights: Public Domain, Free of Known Copyright Restrictions. Learn more on our privacy and legal page.