Jeannette Rankin

For her tireless effort on women suffrage and pacifism, Rankin has been memorialized. A statue of her rests in United States Capitol’s Statuary Hall with the inscription ‘I Cannot Vote for War’

Jeannette Rankin was born on June 11, 1880, near Missoula, Montana, Olive Pickering Rankin and John Rankin. She was eldest among the six siblings. While her mother was a school teacher, her father worked as an immigrant carpenter and rancher.

Since Jeannette was the eldest child of the family, she assisted her parents in daily chores and outdoor works. She also took care of her younger siblings. Hardworking and laborious, she helped maintain the ranch machinery.

Academically, Rankin attended high school and later enrolled at the University of Montana. She graduated in 1902 with a B.Sc. degree in biology.

After completing her studies, Jeannette Rankin initially tried her hands in various professions such as dressmaking, furniture designing and social work.

In 1908, after realising that her true passion lies in social work, she enrolled in the New York School of Philanthropy in New York City and passed out from the school in 1909..

In 1909, Rankin relocated to Spokane, Washington. Therein, she attended the University of Washington. It was while at the university that she became involved in the women suffrage movement. Soon, she organized the New York Women’s Suffrage Party and served as a lobbyist for the National American Woman Suffrage Association. In 1910, Washington voters approved an amendment to their state constitution permanently enfranchising women; Washington became the fifth state in the Union to do so.

In 1911, Rankin created history by becoming the first woman to speak before the Montana legislature. Therein, she made her case for women’s suffrage. She actively worked to make amendments in the state constitution that would give women the right to vote. Her hard work finally paid off in 1914 as Montana granted women unrestricted voting rights.

In 1916, Rankin ran for a seat in the US House of Representative. After extensive campaigning and travelling, she finally emerged victorious, becoming the first woman to serve in the Congress.

Though Jeannette Rankin is best remembered for her pacifism and her opposition against U.S. entry in World War I and II, one cannot deny her contribution in the women suffrage movement. She played a pivotal role in the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment that secured voting rights for women.