Women's suffrage in Colorado

Nationally-known suffragists, such as Susan B. Anthony and Lucy Stone spoke alongside Colorado's own Alida Avery around the state.

Both Black and white suffragists worked to influence voters, gave speeches, and turned out on election day in a last-minute push.

[4] The convention included speakers such as Margaret W. Campbell from Massachusetts and Reverend Eliza Tupper Wilkes from Colorado Springs.

[6] The delegates voted 24 to 8 against adding women's enfranchisement to the state constitution, though one section of the document allowed for later suffrage referendums.

[7] The convention also directed the first Colorado General Assembly to create a women's suffrage referendum during their first legislative session which was held in 1877.

On February 15, 1877, the Woman Suffrage Association held their annual convention and Alida Avery was elected president.

[10] Another mass meeting took place in Denver on October 1 which included speakers such as Lucy Stone, Mary Grafton Campbell and Avery.

[14] When Matilda Hindman of South Dakota arrived in Colorado in 1890 to raise money for efforts in her territory, she helped reignite suffrage organizations in Denver.

[13] Hindman held a meeting in her rooms at the Richelieu Hotel where women not only raised money for South Dakota but also created a Denver chapter of CESA.

[15] The arrival of Louise M. Tyler, moving from Boston to Denver, also spurred the creation of an auxiliary to the National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA).

[20] Despite Churchill's refusal to participate in the organization, her newspaper continued to cover women's suffrage and took on the topic from a more radical perspective.

[22] The tactic of mobilizing women to vote in school elections was also supported by the Woman's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) in Colorado.

[27] Ellis Meredith, the vice president of CNPESA, attended the NAWSA annual convention in June and convinced Carrie Chapman Catt to aid in the campaign.

[30] Before the election, suffragists produced fliers that showed voters which choice to select to approve women's suffrage.

[39] Colorado suffragists also testified in front of the United States Congress and served as delegates to political party conventions.

[1] Caroline Spencer from Colorado Springs was involved in the more militant suffrage group, the Congressional Union (CU, and later known as the National Woman's Party), where she was one of the most active members in the state.

[41] Spencer picketed the White House and was arrested and imprisoned for her protest work on behalf of national women's suffrage.

[42][43] Noyes helped organize support for a national woman's suffrage amendment among Colorado's major political parties.

[44][45] The work of the CU eventually led to state political parties to include support for women's suffrage in their platforms.

[52] In the Colorado General Assembly, Representative Mabel Ruth Baker and co-author, Senator Agnes L. Riddle, submitted House Joint Resolution No.

[53] After the women's suffrage amendment passed the U.S. Congress, Colorado called a special legislative session to open on December 8, 1919.