IN MIXED COMPANY

This is the official home page for the Indiana Suffrage Centennial "From Seneca Falls to Seymour and South Bend: Mapping Indiana Suffrage History" project.

On Election Day in 1920, a so-called suffragist described some of the happenings of that historic occasion in the Greenfield Daily Reporter: She wrote that it was a "trying day" for the first-time women voters in Indiana. "As early as 6 a.m. you could look out your window most any minute and see ‘em flitting past at breakneck speed, some in spring wagons, some in flivvers (cars), and most of them on foot. The ones on foot you would have thought were chasing a fire so fast did they travel." One racing to vote before her sister "had the misfortune to fall headfirst on hard pavement."

Another society woman made the shocking discovery--too late--that she had proceeded to the polling place wearing no make-up, "a thing she had never done in her whole uneventful life." Her apparent "shiny nose" caused her to vote for the wrong presidential candidate. (Again this is a report from a so-called suffragist, someone supportive of women voting).

She continued: "Many cases like these were reported…Some women it is said were indignant because there were no mirrors and upholstered rockers and velvet carpets at various voting places…Some of the women said they even got tobacco juice all over their skirts…Some said they heard lots and lots of profanity being used…The men in their excitement probably forgot they were in mixed company."

The battle for the ballot in Indiana was long and daunting. In the end, Indiana women won the vote by sustaining both moderate and militant strategies. Indiana suffragists were a mixed company of women with what Indianapolis suffragist Grace Julian Clarke described as “that rare combination of the idealistic and the practical.” A colorful mix of gumption, resilience, unapologetic sass, diligence, confidence, style, courage, savvy, stamina, and dedication. "Nevertheless [Indiana suffragists] persisted." The maps listed below celebrate them.