Ellen A. Martin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ellen Annette Martin
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| Born | January 16, 1847 |
| Died | March 13, 1916 (aged 69) |
| Alma mater | University of Michigan |
| Occupation | Lawyer, Suffragist |
| Parent(s) | Abram and Mary Eliza (Burnham) Martin |
Ellen Annette Martin (born January 16, 1847 – died March 13, 1916) was an important American lawyer. She helped women gain the right to vote, known as women's suffrage, in Illinois. She was the very first woman to cast a vote in Illinois history.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Ellen Martin was born in Kiantone, New York. She was a bright student who loved learning. She decided to study law, which was very unusual for women at that time.
She attended the University of Michigan law school in Ann Arbor. She graduated in 1875. The next year, in 1876, she was allowed to practice law in Illinois. This meant she could work as a lawyer there.
A Historic Vote for Women
On April 6, 1891, Ellen Martin made history in Lombard, Illinois. She led a group of 14 brave women to the local voting place. This was a general store in town. At that time, only men were usually allowed to vote in Illinois.
However, Lombard had an older rulebook from before 1870. This rulebook did not say that only men could vote. Because of this, Miss Martin bravely told the three men in charge of the election that the women had a right to vote.
Reports say the election judges were very surprised! One judge had a "spasm," another leaned against a wall, and a third fell into a flour barrel. They were clearly shocked by her demand.
The Outcome
Eventually, a county judge decided that the women's votes were legal. These votes became the first ones ever counted for women in Illinois. This is how Ellen Martin became the first woman to vote in the state.
However, the men in Lombard quickly changed the town's rules. They made them match the state's rules. After that, women in Lombard could only vote in school elections.
Legacy and Recognition
Even though the immediate change was small, Ellen Martin's actions were very important. They showed that women were fighting for their right to vote. By 1916, women in Illinois could vote in national elections. The 19th Amendment was passed in 1920. This amendment gave all women across the United States the right to vote.
In 2008, the town of Lombard, Illinois, honored Ellen Martin. They declared April 6 as "Ellen Martin Day." This day remembers her historic victory for women's voting rights.
Images for kids
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Grave of Ellen Martin, Jamestown, NY
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Marker commemorating Ellen Martin, located at the Lombard Historical Society
