A Woman’s Place is Under the Dome - The Capitol and Michigan’s Suffrage Movement
The fight for women’s suffrage began in Michigan in 1846 when women’s rights advocate Ernestine Rose gave two speeches in Representatives Hall in Michigan’s first Capitol building. Suddenly, Michigan lawmakers and citizens were talking about the fact that some women wanted the right to vote and have a voice in government. The struggle continued for many years in our second and third Capitols, where citizens gathered to discuss and lobby for married women’s property rights, improved healthcare and sanitation, equal access to higher education, and the right to run for and hold government offices. Hear these women’s inspiring words and relive some of Michigan’s most important suffrage moments.