Beginning in 1870, Utah women from both polygamist and monogamist
marriages attempted to establish their primacy as the standard-bearer
of woman's rights in the territory. Some sought support from leaders
within the territory while others looked to those in the national
arena. Ultimately, the activities of Mormon women helped to secure
woman suffrage for Utah in 1870.
Many historians have overlooked the role of Mormon women in
securing woman suffrage. Because Mormon women neither publicly drafted
petitions nor held public demonstrations to seek the vote, many
historians have concluded that they were not politically active until
after they were enfranchised and then only in response to attempts to
disfranchise them. However, the reaction of Mormon women to their
enfranchisement and their readiness to assume an active political role
in their communities suggest a different conclusion: that they were
politicized prior to enfranchisement and their activities contributed
to their own enfranchisement.
Nineteenth-century woman suffragists in Utah left a legacy of activism, commitment and achievement.