Susan B. Anthony (center), shown here at the unveiling of the Sacagawea statue in Portland on July 6, 1905. In her speech, she described Sacagawea as part of the historic line of patriotic women who built America.
Susan B. Anthony (center), shown here at the unveiling of the Sacagawea statue in Portland on July 6, 1905. In her speech, she described Sacagawea as part of the historic line of patriotic women who built America.
On Thursday, July 6, Oregon’s history of women’s suffrage took its rightful place of honor at the Oregon State Capitol State Park in Salem. In a public event taking place from 11 a.m. to noon, the Oregon Historical Society, Oregon Women’s History Consortium (OHWC) and the Oregon State Capitol Foundation unveiled a new, women’s-suffrage-history marker on the east end of the Capitol grounds. Featured guests included Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum and Gwen Carr of the Oregon Black Pioneers.
The marker was created as a part of the 2020 women’s suffrage centennial and OHWC’s work with the National Votes for Women Trail. Sponsored by the National Collaborative for Women’s History Sites, the National Votes for Women Trail seeks to recognize and celebrate the enormous diversity of people and groups active in the struggle for women’s suffrage. The Trail consists of two parts: a database with a digital map and a program of historical markers for about 250 woman suffrage sites across the country.
Funded by the William G. Pomeroy Foundation and the federal Women’s Suffrage Centennial Commission, markers have been created and donated to each state and territory in the United States. Each marker is unique and the content on the capitol marker notes the state’s suffrage history and Oregon’s ratification of the 19th Amendment. The unveiling date recognizes a historical moment in Oregon: on July 6, 1905, Susan B. Anthony unveiled a statue of Sacagawea (Agaideka (Lemi) Shoshone) at the Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition in Portland.
In 2020, the Oregon Historical Society commemorated the centennial of woman suffrage through an original exhibition, “Nevertheless, They Persisted: Women’s Voting Rights and the 19th Amendment.” This exhibition shared the many ways Oregon history connects to the national history of woman suffrage and to the complex history of democracy in the United States. Portions of this exhibition are available to view online, and related curriculum is also available for educators.
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