Political and Women in Laramie, Wyoming

Political

Immediately upon his arrival here, our first governor, John A. Campbell, proceeded to district the territory into legislative districts, and issued a proclamation for the election of a legislature. This legislature convened in Cheyenne in November, 1869, and remained in session for sixty days, and provided the territory with a general code of laws for its government. This legislature was composed exclusively of democrats in both branches, so that there was no opportunity for any political squabbles or contentions during its lengthy session. As might have been expected, while it was composed of men of good, sound sense, they were nevertheless generally inexperienced in law-making, and many of its acts were necessarily crude and ambiguous.

Woman's Suffrage

Among the most important of the acts passed at that session, was the one conferring political rights upon the women of Wyoming territory. This act was exceedingly simple and brief, occupying but half a dozen of lines in our statute book, and simply provided that women who were citizens of the United States, and of the Territory of Wyoming, or had declared their intention to become such, were hereby invested with all the political rights, duties, franchises, and responsibilities of male citizens.

This act was approved December 10, 1869. There was not, so far as we know, at that time in all Wyoming Territory a single aggressive advocate of women's rights, either man or woman. The motives which prompted the legislature to lay aside its conservatism and take this new departure were, so far as can be judged, an ambition to immortalize themselves and out Herod-Herod with the spectacle of a democratic legislature manifesting more progressiveness and liberality than any republican body could boast; and secondly they were influenced by the idea that this act would materially serve to advertise our young territory, and bring it into notoriety abroad. Subsequent events demonstrated their wisdom and foresight, at least so far as the second motive was concerned.

Woman Juries

The first opportunity that occurred, for practically testing the experiment of women suffrage was at the session of the court following its enactment and probably no court in the history of Laramie awakened so much local interest and excitement or created such a sensation throughout all the country as this. Inasmuch as Wyoming had consented to be the first among all the states and territories to try the much talked of experiment of woman suffrage, the Sentinel took pronounced ground in favor of giving the experiment a fair and thorough test. Many had regarded the passage of the act as a mere joke, as something which would remain as a dead letter on our statutes but the county commissioners were finally induced, in selecting the names of jurors, to select from both sexes, and the first knowledge the community had of the fact was when the Sentinel came out with the names of the jurors drawn for the coming court, in which list appeared the names of some twenty of the most prominent ladies of Laramie City. It would be impossible to describe at this remote period the excitement which this event created, and the fact was telegraphed, not only throughout the country, but over the whole civilized world. The following are the names of the lady jurors selected for that term of court:

Grand Jury

Petit Jurors

In addition to this regular panel several were summoned during the term as talesmen. Some three or four weeks were to intervene after the selection of the jury before the term commenced and the Sentinel and its editor used all their influence to induce the ladies named to serve, and to educate public sentiment up to the point of regarding the innovation with favor, and endeavoring to give the experiment a fair trial. In this we were materially aided by a letter from Chief Justice Howe, who was to preside at the term of court, and who, in this letter pledged to the ladies, all the support, aid and encouragement which the court could give them in the discharge of these new and novel duties of citizenship. A reluctant consent was at last obtained from the ladies to discharge their duties as jurors. In view of this interesting event. Sheriff Boswell had made special exertions to fit up the rough, primitive court house and jury room with neatness and taste, in honor of our lady jurors.

On the morning when this court convened, the jurors selected and summoned were all present and without anyone demurring or objecting they were duly sworn and charged as a grand jury, and empanelled as a petit jury. In order that the legality of the question might be tested and settled Colonel Downey moved to quash the panel upon the ground that the jurors sworn were not all male citizens, which motion was argued by Colonel Downey for, and W. R. Steel and T. J. Street attorneys, in opposition. The court overruled the motion, Associate Justice J. W. Kingman, sitting on the bench concurring.

This settled the validity of the law, so far as it could be done by the courts of Wyoming territory. It will readily be believed that this term of court was largely attended by the citizens of Laramie, who watched the novel scenes with intense interest.

Justice was Done

If we had the space to review more minutely the history of this term of court at Laramie, the details would be of great interest, particularly to the old citizens of that time, but we have only room to briefly summarize it. The court was a lengthy term, and very many important cases, both civil and criminal were tried, in all of which we believe women served as jurors. At the close of the term the universal verdict was that evenhanded and exact justice had been done in every instance; law and order established; crime punished; persons and property protected, and rights enforced effectually, honestly and impartially.

Some idea of the interest which this event awakened abroad may be gathered from the fact that when this jury was empanelled, and sworn and charged by Judge Howe, all the material facts together with the judge's charge, were telegraphed throughout the country by the associated press, and also by cable to all the civilized countries abroad, and within twenty-four hours afterwards King William of Prussia, sent a congratulatory dispatch to President Grant, upon this evidence of progress, enlightenment and civil liberty in America.

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Source: Annals of Wyoming, Volume 15, April 1943, Wyoming Historical Department, Cheyenne, Wyoming.