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Glossary

abolish

(verb) to end or stop; to completely do away with something

Congress abolished Utah women’s voting rights with the passage of the Edmunds-Tucker Act in 1887.

an orange 'x'
abolition

(noun) the legal ending of slavery

Many people worked for the abolition of slaves.

two fists tied by rope breaking free
abolitionist

(noun) a person who supported the ending of slavery in the United States

Angelina Grimke and Sojourner Truth were abolitionists who fought to end slavery.

Harriet Tubman
acquiesce

(verb) to accept, agree, or allow something to happen by staying silent or not arguing

Those who do not vote acquiesce to the outcome of elections.

a yield road sign
activist

(noun) a person who uses or supports strong actions to make changes in politics/society

Alice Paul was a national suffragist and women’s rights activist who was arrested seven times and put in prison three times.

Alice Paul
advocate

(noun) a person who works for a cause or group

Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton were advocates of women’s suffrage.

(verb) to support or argue for a cause or policy

 

Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton
affiliate

(noun) an organization that is a chapter (or part of) of a larger organization

Utah had affiliates, or chapters, of the larger National American Women’s Suffrage Association throughout the state.

hierarchal chart with organization at top and three affiliates underneath
amendment

(noun) a change in the words or meaning of a law or document (such as a constitution)

The 19th Amendment in the U.S. Constitution grants women voting rights.

19th Amendment
analogy

(noun) Drawing a comparison between two unlike things to make a point. Cartoonists often compare a complex situation to a familiar situation.

comparing an apple to an orange
apotheosis

(noun) Elevating a person to the rank of a god

My sister is the apotheosis of sisterhood.

OR

(noun) The ideal example

Snickers is the apotheosis of candy bars.

'The Creation of Adam' painting by Michelangelo
ballot

(noun) a ticket or piece of paper used to vote

Seraph Young was the first woman in the modern United States to cast a ballot in an election.

a person placing their vote in a voting box
cajole

(verb) to persuade someone to do something by making promises or saying nice things

The politician cajoled potential voters into voting for him by making big promises.

a person repeatedly saying "I promise"
campaign

(noun) a series of events designed to influence voters in an election

Suffragists like Susan B. Anthony led the campaign for women’s voting rights.

(verb) to take part in a series of events to influence voters

Suffragists campaigned for women’s voting rights.

Suffragists holding a sign that reads "We were voters out west! Why deny our rights in the East?"
commissioner

(noun) an official who is in charge of a government department or part of a government department

LuAnn Adams was the first woman appointed to be Utah’s agriculture commissioner.

LuAnn Adams
concur

(verb) to agree

Most delegates at the Utah State Constitutional Convention concurred that women’s suffrage be included in the proposed constitution.

a handshake
delegate

(noun) a representative who votes on behalf of others

Susa Young Gates was one of many delegates representing the women of Utah at national suffrage conventions.

Susa Young Gates
denounce

(noun) to publicly state that someone or something is wrong or bad

Susan B. Anthony denounced legislation that took away Utah women’s voting rights.

thumbs down
disavow

(verb) to give up doing something

In 1890, the LDS Church disavowed, or ended, the practice of polygamy.

scissors cutting a chain
disfranchisement

(noun) To take away someone’s right to vote

The Edmunds-Tucker Act caused the disfranchisement of Utah women.

The Edmunds-Tucker Act
ecclesiastical

(adjective) relating to Christian church or clergy

Many non-Mormons worried about that the Utah government had too much ecclesiastical influence.

a church
emancipate

(verb) to free a person from someone else’s power

Anti-polygamists wanted to emancipate women in polygamous marriages.

Statue of Liberty mixed media poster
empower

(verb) to give power to someone, including legal power

The 19th Amendment empowered women with voting rights.

Rosie the Riveter "We Can Do It!" poster
enfranchisement

(noun) To give someone the right to vote

Emmeline B. Wells was a Utah leader involved in the enfranchisement of women.

political cartoon showing how suffrage was first granted to Western states
exaggeration

(noun) Overdoing or emphasizing certain physical characteristics and/or attributes

political cartoons showing large facial features of U.S. presidents Teddy Roosevelt and Richard Nixon
expedient

(adjective) providing a quick and easy way to solve a problem

Anti-polygamists believed that granting Utah women voting rights was expedient to ending polygamy.

an alarm clock
exultant

(adj) very happy and excited

Many were exultant when the 19th Amendment was ratified in 1920, granting women voting rights.

women celebrating the ratification of the 19th Amendment
franchise

(n) the right to vote

The 19th Amendment granted the franchise to women.

(v) to give the right to vote

The 19th Amendment franchised women.

 

 

postage stamp showing a woman voting
Gentile

(noun) (in this context) individuals who were not Mormon

The Transcontinental Railroad brought many Gentiles to Utah.

the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad
immigrate

(verb) to come to a country to live there

Many early Utah suffragists immigrated to Utah from other countries. For example, Martha Hughes Cannon immigrated from Wales.

Martha Hughes Cannon
indelible

(adj) impossible to remove or forget

Susan B. Anthony’s efforts made an indelible impression on the women’s suffrage movement.

Susan B. Anthony
labeling

(verb) Identifying who someone is or what an object/place is for the reader through a label or caption.

a political cartoon with captions under vice president, president, and peacemaker
lobby

(verb): to try to influence government officials to make decisions for or against something.

Anti-polygamists lobbied Congress to make polygamy illegal.

a politician sneakily paying money to a man
moderates

(noun) People who are assumed to “listen to reason;” committed to “friendly persuasion;” push social norms a little, but still within levels of respectability.

Carrie Chapman Catt was a leading suffragist who was considered more moderate; she favored continuing to use tactics that had been used during previous decades and keep herself in the good favor of male leaders.

monogamy

(noun) being married to only one person at a time

Anti-polygamists felt that monogamy, not polygamy, was moral.

(adj) monogamous

Franklin S. Richards and Emily S. Richards were in a monogamous marriage.

Emily S. and Franklin S. Richards
municipal

(adjective) city or town government

Women in Utah first voted in a municipal election in Salt Lake City.

mural of Seraph Young voting (first woman in Utah and U.S. to vote) in a local election
nefarious

(adjective) evil or immoral

Anti-polygamists believed that polygamy was very nefarious and worked to get rid of it.

a sneaky villain
nominate

(verb) to formally propose someone for a position or political office

Sarah Kimball was nominated and elected as the first president of the Utah Women’s Suffrage Association.

someone selecting a person from a lineup
nullify

(verb) to make it so something has no legal power

The law was nullified by the court, so people no longer had to obey it.

veto stamp
oratory

(noun) speaking to groups of people in a way that is effective

His oratory skills were top-notch, so he spoke at many events.

a debator
petition

(noun) a written document that people sign to show that they want a person or organization to do or change something

Suffragists wrote petitions to convince lawmakers to pass a women’s suffrage amendment.

(verb) to ask a person, group, or organization for something in a formal way

Anti-polygamists petitioned Congress to pass anti-polygamy legislation.

a signed document
philanthropy

(noun) giving money and time to help make life better for other people

The family’s philanthropy made it possible for a new library to be built.

placing coins into a jar
platform

(noun): The official beliefs and goals of a political party or candidate.

She was elected on a platform of collaboration.

logos of the major political parties in the U.S.
polygamy

(noun) A marriage system in which a person is married to more than one person at a time.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints practiced polygamy, in which some husbands had more than one living wife.

Brigham Young with 21 of his wives
precinct

(noun) sections that a town or city is divided into when people vote in an election

Before voting, she needed to figure out in which precinct she belonged.

map of five regions or districts
radicals

(noun) People who express greater degrees of dissatisfaction than moderates; they tend to be more “combative” and push more against social norms and ideas; more extreme.

Radicals tend to make moderates look more conservative or acceptable.

 

Alice Paul was considered radical because of her White House protests.

ratify

(verb) to make official by voting for and signing (a constitutional amendment)

In August 1920, the 19th Amendment granting women’s voting rights was ratified by three-fourths of the states.

thumbs up
re-enfranchisement

(noun)

to give back someone’s right to vote

“Re” = to do again

The re-enfranchisement of Utah women occurred when Utah attained statehood.

draft of equal suffrage in Utah state constitution, 1895
rescind

(verb) to end officially; to say officially that (something) is no longer valid

The Edmunds-Tucker Act rescinded women’s suffrage in Utah.

tearing up a contract
revoke

(verb) to make something invalid

U.S. Congress revoked Utah women’s voting rights in 1887.

rewind symbol
sanction

(verb) to officially accept or allow something

The LDS Church sanctioned women’s suffrage, supporting efforts made by women to win back their voting rights.

checkmark
secular

(adj) not religious

Many Utah women participated in both religious and secular organizations.

signs for "secular" versus "sacred"
statute

(noun) a law

Utah suffragists fought to include a statute guaranteeing women’s suffrage in the Utah State Constitution.

law book with a gavel
stump speech

(noun) a speech that is made many times by a politician who is traveling to different places during a campaign for election

The candidate made several stump speeches across the state, repeating her views.

painting of a candidate making a speech
suffrage

(noun) The right to vote in a political election

During the women’s suffrage movement, women fought for and won the right to vote in political elections.

"Votes for Women" button
suffragist

(noun) a person who worked to get voting rights for women

Suffragists fought for women’s voting rights.

suffragists holding a National Woman Suffrage Association banner
symbolism

(noun) An object that stands for itself and a larger concept or idea.

dove, peace sign, Utah state seal, elephant for Republicans/donkey for Democrats
territory

(noun) a of the part of the United States that is not a state

Utah was a U.S. territory, not a state, until 1896.

 

map of the United States that shows territories in 1863