On This Day, February 14, 1870, Seraph Young became the first woman to legally vote in the modern United States, just two days after the Utah Territorial Legislature granted women the right to vote. This significant act took place in Salt Lake City, Utah, marking a monumental step forward in the women’s suffrage movement.
Seraph Young’s vote was not only a landmark achievement for her personally but also symbolized the beginning of a new era for women’s rights in America. Her action came 50 years before the ratification of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which granted all American women the right to vote. Utah’s early adoption of women’s suffrage was a testament to the territory’s progressive stance on women’s rights, influenced by both the women’s suffrage movement and local social and political factors.
The voting by Seraph Young underscores the long and arduous journey of the women’s suffrage movement in the United States. It highlights the importance of local legislative changes in paving the way for broader national reforms. Her vote is celebrated as a milestone in the fight for gender equality and the empowerment of women in the political process.
