RIPON, Wis. (WFRV) – Well known by many for its impact on the United States of America and modern politics, Ripon has etched its name in history for multiple major moments.
Spirit of America: Ripon schoolhouse etched in history as Birthplace of the Republican Party
One of the defining moments of the 20th Century and American history in general was the Women’s Suffrage Movement, and one of the leading activists in the movement was none other than Carrie Chapman Catt—who was born in Ripon.
Little White Schoolhouse Museum Director Ellen Sorenson says that Catt was one of the architects of the 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote in the United States, and that Catt’s passion started as a child.
“On an election day, Catt asked her mother why she wasn’t going to vote, because she took care of the accounting,” Sorenson said. “Her dad was basically illiterate, but he was a man, which didn’t sit well with Catt.”
The moment defined Catt’s life, as she chose to become a leader of the United States’ Women’s Suffrage Movement, which began in the mid-1800s, and she took a significant role.
Students enjoying reading from American Legion members about country’s history
“She ultimately took over for Susan B. Anthony, setting up a structure for trying to get the 19th Amendment passed,” Sorenson said.
And of course, where else would the 19th Amendment be ratified first, but right here in Wisconsin? The 19th Amendment was fully ratified on August 18, 1920, over a year after Wisconsin ratified it on June 10.
