laura and voting
In These Happy Golden Years, Laura Ingalls tells Almanzo Wilder that she is not for women's rights and she does not want to vote. Women already had a few rights in Dakota Territory in 1885, and one of them was the right to vote in school elections if they had a child of school age. That meant that Caroline Ingalls - as well as Charles Ingalls - could vote in school elections.

Speaking of Dakota Territory schools during the "Little House" years, almost every time I see a discussion of "schools back then," someone points out that only single women could teach. Even Laura Ingalls implies that in THGY. That was not true! From the first Dakota School Law in the 1860s, both married men and women were allowed to teach. One of the first Kingsbury County teachers was a married woman (Mrs. Hilton), and both married persons and parents were also teachers. One teacher in the 1890s (Mrs. Dow) taught a term and had a baby before the term ended, so she obviously taught while pregnant.

Btw, when George Williams ran for Kingsbury County Superintendent of Schools in 1882, he was opposed by Samuel O. Masters. In 1886, George Williams left the county, and V.S.L. Owen (Laura's teacher, Mr. Owen) ran for office to replace him. Owen was opposed by Eloise Stead (a woman!) and was defeated by her in the election.
- posted by pioneergirl at 11:00 PM