Iconic Wisconsin Women

Wisconsin women have made many contributions to state and national history, yet our textbooks often reduce women's history to the campaign for suffrage at the expense of everything else. While the right to vote was indeed an important victory for women, it's just one of many issues that women have sought to change. Wisconsin women of many races, classes and ethnic groups left their mark on our history.

This article explores the stories of 12 Wisconsin women overlooked by history. We hope it inspires you to take a deeper dive into the lives of the amazing women who shaped, and continue to shape, our state.

The Fight for Suffrage Continued

On August 26, 1920, the 19th Amendment went into effect and citizens of the United States could no longer be denied the right to vote on the basis of gender. Yet, the effort to achieve voting equality for women started decades earlier and for many Americans, the passage of the 19th amendment was just the beginning of the struggle for voting rights.

Explore videos, essays, artifacts, and photographs of the movement and struggles that shaped the movement to take the US one step closer to a true democracy. Learn more about the women who pioneered this movement in Wisconsin and see the materials they used to fight for their right to vote.

Discover the exhibits and educational materials that delve deep into the history of the movement and how we can view it through the lens of today and our continued fight for suffrage.