Elizabeth Nick, August 7, 1991

The idea to form the League of women Voters was proposed at the National American Woman Suffrage Association convention by Carrie Chapmen Catt on March 1919, in St Louis. The League was officially formed in February of 1920, at the Victory Convention of the National American Women Suffrage Association in Chicago. The League’s first project was to hold a National Citizenship School, to teach women about the election process. “The League was founded in 1920 to ‘finish the fight’ after women won the right to vote. Our aim from the start has been to ensure that citizens are informed about issues and prepared to play their part in community building and government.”(1)

Although it defined itself as not supporting a party or candidate, the League promoted certain items of legislation based on positions reached through study and consensus, particularly those which pertained to women’s equal participation in government and the improvement of living conditions for women and children. Among the first issues the League addressed were the regulation of child labor, and child welfare programs. The league championed independent citizenship for married women, women’s right to equal guardianship of children, and equal wages, as well as the inclusion of women on juries. They furthered nationally, uniform marriage and divorce laws, and citizenship instruction in the public school curricula.

...