By Elizabeth Bolin
Gazette Intern

STEVENS POINT – On June 23, the Steven’s Point League of Women Voters will host an event at Heritage Park to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the passing of the 19th Amendment granting American women the right to vote.

In order to pass the amendment on a federal level, the 36 individual states had to ratify it. On June 10, 1919, Wisconsin was the first state to ratify the amendment, effectively kick-starting the legalization process. Almost one year later, on August 18, 1920, the amendment was officially ratified.

The League of Women Voters is collaborating with the Portage County Historical Society to orchestrate the anniversary celebration.
Deb Knippel, a co-convener from the league, advocates for participation in the celebration.

“It’s pretty exciting that Wisconsin was the first to ratify the amendment, especially because of how hard fought the battle was,” she said.

The event takes place June 23, 1 – 4 p.m. and will include root beer floats and an informational skit about Wisconsin’s role in ratification.  Knippel hopes the event succeeds in educating people about the amendment and the impact it had on our country.

“We can’t take that (the right to vote) for granted because we still have issues related to access to voting for everyone today,” Knippel added.

Information regarding the history of the suffrage movement can be found on the Wisconsin Historical Society website under “Suffrage Toolkit.”

This toolkit can also be found on the League of Women Voters website and is available for distribution. Heritage Park is located on the corner of Washington Avenue and Willow Drive in Plover.

Members of the Oshkosh Equal Suffrage League participate in their Fourth of July parade, seven years before Wisconsin ratified the 19th Amendment.