Success in the West
The pioneering spirit of the West was not limited to the frontier. The independent spirit also spread into politics. New societies in the West presented new opportunities. For women, this meant the chance to have voting rights.

Women in the West were leaders of the suffrage movement. In 1869, Wyoming became the first territory to give suffrage to women. Many western states would follow. Some even elected female officials. For instance, Montana elected the first woman to the U.S. Congress.

In the West, there were fewer ethnic and cultural problems than there were in the East. This helped the western suffrage movement because the issue of women's voting was separate from other issues.

Describe what you see in this political cartoon.

The woman in the cartoon is walking eastward. What do you think this symbolizes?

Who are the figures in the eastern half of the United States? What do you think they are meant to represent?

How do you think the success of women's suffrage in the West impacted the movement as a whole?