May 7 – May 14, 1886
The Great Jury Debate: When Washington Women Fought for the Bench
Reports tie a Senate suffrage debate to a later jury-rights dispute, with dates at odds.
3 reports in Seattle Daily Post-Intelligencer, May 7 – May 14, 1886.
The story
In May 1886, the Seattle Daily Post-Intelligencer reported a U.S. Senate debate over women’s suffrage as Washington Territory pressed toward statehood, with senators disputing whether they or the territory’s people had the right to grant women the vote. A report dated May 14, 1886, describes a “landmark 1888 legal dispute” that threatened women’s right to vote and to serve as jurors. The reports do not reconcile that 1888 reference with the 1886 dates and give no further details of the dispute.
Told from the 3 reports below. The reports are the record.
The archive grouped these reports automatically, by date, place and subject.
The reports 3
- Seattle Daily Post-IntelligencerThe Battle for Washington Territory's Ballot
A fiery Senate debate in 1886 reveals the complex national struggle over women’s suffrage during Washington's push for statehood.
- Seattle Daily Post-IntelligencerThe Senate Floor Fight Over Washington Women's Votes
As Washington Territory stood on the threshold of statehood in 1886, U.S. Senators debated whether they—or the people of the territory—had the right to grant women the vote.
- Seattle Daily Post-IntelligencerThe Great Jury Debate: When Washington Women Fought for the Bench
A landmark 1888 legal dispute threatened to strip women of their newly won right to vote and serve as jurors in Washington Territory.
From the pages
Seattle Daily Post-Intelligencer · May 7, 1886
Seattle Daily Post-Intelligencer · May 9, 1886
Seattle Daily Post-Intelligencer · May 14, 1886
Library of Congress, Chronicling America. Public domain.