Women's Franchise League of Indiana facts for kids

The Women's Franchise League of Indiana was a group formed in 1911. Their main goal was to help women in Indiana get the right to vote. It was created when two other groups, the Indianapolis Franchise Society and the Legislative Council of Indiana Women, joined together.

This group worked closely with the National American Woman Suffrage Association (NASWA). It became the most important group fighting for women's voting rights in Indiana. The Women's Franchise League of Indiana grew quite large, with over 1,200 members across thirteen areas of the state.

A poster from the Women's Franchise League of Indiana, around the 1910s, asking for votes for women.

Fighting for the Vote: Early Days

The Women's Franchise League of Indiana officially started in 1911. Their first big meeting was held in 1912. Their motto was "Dignified Conduct at All Times."

At this meeting, the League made plans to spread their message across Indiana. They gave instructions to smaller groups on how to start their own local leagues. The main goal was to organize women and their supporters in Indiana, often called "Hoosier women," to win the right to vote in state elections.

The Maston-McKinley Partial Suffrage Law

Before World War I, the League focused on getting women the right to vote at the state level. Their hard work led to a success in 1917. Indiana passed the Maston-McKinley Partial Suffrage Act.

This law gave women the right to vote in city elections, school elections, and some other special elections. When this law passed, many women signed up to vote. In Indianapolis alone, between 30,000 and 40,000 women registered! This law put Indiana in line with other states like Illinois and Utah.

However, this victory for women's voting rights in Indiana did not last long.

Why the Voting Law Was Stopped

The Maston-McKinley Partial Suffrage Act faced strong opposition in Indiana. Two men filed lawsuits, saying the law was against the state's constitution.

One man, Henry W. Bennett, filed a lawsuit in 1917. He argued that holding a special meeting to change the constitution would cost too much money. The Indiana Supreme Court did not say the Maston-McKinley Partial Suffrage Act was unconstitutional because of his lawsuit. But another lawsuit soon followed.

William Knight, a well-known businessman, filed his lawsuit shortly after Bennett's. Knight argued that taxpayers should not have to pay for the extra costs of women voting. He also said they should not pay for separate voting places for women, which the law required. The Indiana Supreme Court agreed with Knight in a case called Board of Election Commissioners of the City of Indianapolis v. Knight. Knight also won when the case was appealed to a higher court.

A woman named Marie Stuart Edwards tried to help. She convinced her brother, Allison Stuart, to ask the Indiana Supreme Court to allow women to vote in presidential elections. But this request was turned down in February 1918.

The decision by the Indiana Supreme Court effectively ended women's right to vote in Indiana for a time. This was a big moment for the Women's Franchise League of Indiana. They then decided to focus all their efforts on getting a national law passed. This national law became the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution.

The League During World War I

After the disappointment of the Maston-McKinley Partial Suffrage Act being stopped, the Women's Franchise League of Indiana changed its strategy. They decided to work with the National American Woman Suffrage Association to push for a national amendment that would give all women the right to vote.

The League in Indiana started a movement using pamphlets, organizing women, and holding marches across the United States. They also argued that the changes in society and work during World War I showed why women needed a voice. Women were taking on new roles, and this gave them a chance to share their opinions with more people.

In a pamphlet called "Votes For Women! The Woman's Reason," some of the reasons listed for women to vote were:

• "Women must obey the laws just as men do, they should vote equally with men."
• "Women buy things for their families, and people who buy things need a stronger voice in politics."
• "Women are citizens of the government OF the people, BY the people and FOR the people, AND WOMEN ARE PEOPLE."

This new approach, taken during World War I, led to new successes and more members joining the League.

With this renewed energy, the League worked hard to earn the right to vote, and they eventually succeeded! Women's votes were officially recognized in Indiana in September 1921, during a special state election. After women in Indiana finally won the right to vote, the Women's Franchise League reorganized. In 1921, it became the League of Women Voters.

How the League Was Organized

The main office for the Women's Franchise League of Indiana was in Peru, Indiana. The League had a president, a treasurer, and an executive secretary.

The number of local branches grew a lot over time. In 1912, there were 36 branches. By 1916, there were 60 branches. When the League reorganized into the League of Women Voters in 1921, it had 112 branches.

Working Together in Committees

The League strongly believed that all women who were members should have an important role on a committee. This helped everyone participate as much as possible. Leaders of local groups were encouraged to assign women to committees, rather than just waiting for volunteers.

Committees covered many different tasks. Some examples include:

• Organization Committee (to help set up new groups)
• Transportation Committee (to help members travel)
• Memberships Committee (to get new members)
• Finance Committee (to manage money)
• Publicity Committee (to spread their message)
• Speakers Bureau Committee (to arrange for people to give talks)

Who Were the Members?

It's hard to know exactly how diverse the Women's Franchise League of Indiana was. Most members were likely white women from middle to upper-class families. There is some information that shows black women also participated. However, it is not clear if they had the same opportunities as their white counterparts.

League Districts in 1919

The table below shows how many districts there were and how many members each district had in 1919.