EXTRA! Montana Newspaper Stories 1864-1922: Jeannette Rankin

An early champion of women’s rights, Jeannette Rankin was instrumental in the passage of women’s suffrage in Montana in 1914 and later, at the national level. An avowed pacifist, she is noted for voting against U.S. entry into both World War I and World War II. A statue of Rankin, inscribed "I Cannot Vote For War," stands in the U.S. Capitol’s Statuary Hall, and a copy stands in the Montana State Capitol in Helena, Montana.

Key dates

June 11, 1880—Born near Missoula, Montana.
1902—Graduates from the University of Montana.
November 1914—Full suffrage granted to women in Montana.
November 1916—Elected to U.S. House of Representatives.
November 1940—At age 60, again wins a seat in U.S. House of Representatives.
December 8, 1941—Casts the only vote against declaring war on Japan.
January 1968—Leads the Jeannette Rankin Brigade, a coalition of women’s peace groups, on a march in Washington, D.C.
May 18, 1973—Dies in Carmel, California.

From the newspapers

• Ballots Demanded for Women, Daily Missoulian, January 12, 1911, p. 10
• A Missoula Girl’s Stern Campaign, Daily Missoulian, December 10, 1911, p. 11
• Suffrage Tour a Lesson in Devotion, Daily Missoulian, February 15, 1914, p. 3
• Big Crowd Hears Talks by Women, Daily Missoulian, May 03, 1914, p. 6
• Miss Rankin is Coming Saturday, Cut Bank Pioneer Press, September 15, 1916, p. 1
• Country Watches Jeanette Rankin, Glasgow Courier, September 22, 1916, p. 1
• Jeannette Rankin for Congress, The Enterprise, October 12, 1916, p. 1
• Jeanette Makes Bow in Congress, Ronan Pioneer, April 13, 1917, p. 5
• Mixing With Non-Partisans, The Glasgow Courier July 19, 1918, p. 1
• Congresswoman Jeannette Rankin Candidate for United States Senate, The Producers News, August 16, 1918, p. 1
• Jeannette Rankin Unanimous Farmer Labor Candidate for Senator, Montana Leader, September 28, 1918, p. 1

To find more

Search for the following terms in combination, proximity, or as phrases: jeannette (or jeanette) rankin, suffrage

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Written by Catherine W. Ockey