The Never Ending Struggle for Equality

As the citizens of Territorial Kansas were writing constitutions that would determine whether or not slavery was allowed in Kansas, they were also debating the issues of voting rights for blacks (in the versions that excluded slavery) and women. This debate was occurring across the nation among abolitionists and supporters of the woman's suffrage movement. This podcast features documents that address the arguments in favor of allowing most adults to vote in elections. The preamble to the constitution of the Moneka Woman's Rights association lists the rights women did not have. A pamphlet by several prominent Kansans during the 1867 suffrage campaing outlines arguments in favor of votes for women and blacks. The final document reports the results of women voting in municipal elections for the first time in 1887.