Oregon Secretary of State

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​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Overview

Margaret Whittemore and Mary Fendall ride in the back of a car driven by a man.
First in 1912, and then in 1916, suffragists stopped in Pendleton during the Pendleton Round-Up rodeo​ and gave rousing speeches from automobiles. To raise support for a national amendment, National Women's Party activists, Margaret Whittemore and Mary Fendall held rallies at the Pendleton Round-Up grounds in 1916. (Courtesy of Library of Congress)​ ​ Enlarge Image
​Welcome to On Her Own Wings: Oregon Women and the Struggle for Suffrage — an exhibit that explores the history of voting rights in Oregon and the United States. The exhibit covers the early republic to the present, but its focus is on the tumultuous opening of th​e 1900s. Beginning decades earlier, Oregon suffragists battled for a woman’s right to vote. They fought until their efforts were recognized in the 1912 state suffrage proclamation and the ratification of the 19th Amendment in 1920. Still, it would be years before Native American and Asian American women were granted the right to vote​​. The exhibit showcases people, events, and symbolism crucial to this cause, as well as the entrenched powers acting to prevent access to the vote.

​Contents

Introduction​ — See a bird's eye view of the exhibit
History and Context​  — Learn about related forces and movements
Timelines  — Follow how changes happened over time
Events — Explore some of the key events related to woman suffrage
Organizations​ — Survey the range of groups pushing for the vote
Leaders​​​ — Get to know some of the important players in the movement
Learn More — Find additional information on the subject
Trading Cards — Print and share​ woman suffrage cards

Navigation

Use the > link at the bottom of each page to move through the exhibit in sequence. Or, use the sidebar to find tables of contents for each section.