In the late 19th century, women in Indiana made remarkable progress in gaining more property rights and briefly believed that they had also won the suffrage battle. On April 8, 1881, after receiving a suffrage monument in Indianapolis and 30 Indiana counties, and after receiving a call to action from Governor Albert G. Porter, the General Assembly passed a resolution to grant women the right to vote through an amendment to the state constitution. Although women secured the right to vote in the United States in August 1920, they continued to fight for equality.
In the 1970s, the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) proposed amending the United States Constitution to guarantee equal legal rights for all American citizens regardless of sex. House, Robert Dale Owen, for his defense of women's rights during the constitutional convention, which was published in the Indianapolis Sentinel. Records show that black women assisted the Republican Party in 1920, and there is evidence that in the elections of 1920 and 1924 there was a large turnout. In the last years of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century in the United States, there was an increase in violence against African Americans by white supremacists who sought to end any power or right that the group received in the years following the Civil War. In their decades of working for the right to vote, many women found their political voice, gained self-confidence by resisting public scrutiny, and mastered the art of popular mobilization. In 1900, like her friend Mason, she held a teaching position in the Indianapolis public school system. At Culver, Republican women instructed voters on how to properly mark their ballots and, from time to time, they hid in tents equipped with stoves to keep them warm.
These local efforts, multiplied by women's work across the United States, ultimately brought about a radical transformation in women's rights, roles, and power. Although she was still studying law with two young children during the popular movement, DeLaney said she began to realize how far behind Indiana was when it came to women's equality, particularly in the legal profession. Supporters of the opposition to suffrage saw this situation as their last chance to prevent women's right to vote in Indiana and called for a legislative hearing to be held where they could express their grievances. We believe that women will achieve their inherent right through agitation and organization, and that they can have influence in the political world. The 1870s marked a significant increase in local participation in the suffrage and women's rights movement. With the announcement of the winners, many women held electoral parties in places such as the Victoria Hotel and Gary City Hall. For years, political activist Beth Van Vorst Gray worked tirelessly on behalf of women to secure ratification of the ERA in Indiana.
On January 13th, The Indianapolis News reported that anti-suffragist activists from Boston had been in town for two weeks. Today, Indianapolis is home to numerous organizations devoted to advancing gender equality and protecting women's rights. These organizations are working hard to ensure that all citizens have access to equal opportunities regardless of gender or race. Through their efforts, Indianapolis is becoming a more equitable city for all its citizens.
