Midtown in Sacramento in Sacramento County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)

Jeannette Rankin

19th Amendment Outdoor Museum

Photographed By Andrew Ruppenstein, April 20, 2021

1. Jeannette Rankin Marker

Inscription. Rankin organized and lobbied for legislation enfranchising women in several states including Montana, New York, and North Dakota. She was the first woman to hold federal office as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives where she introduced the legislation that would become the 19th amendment. She championed a multitude of diverse women's rights and civil right causes throughout a career that spanned more than six decades. To date, Rankin remains the only woman ever elected to Congress from Montana.

Erected 2020 by Maren Conrad.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Civil Rights • Women.

Location. 38° 34.545′ N, 121° 28.891′ W. Marker is in Sacramento, California, in Sacramento County. It is in Midtown. Marker is on K Street, on the right when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1900 K St, Sacramento CA 95811, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Julie Soderlund (here, next to this marker); Jovita Idár (here, next to this marker); Dr. Margaret 'Mike' Chung (a few steps from this marker); Laura de Force Gordon (a few steps from this marker); Alice Dunbar Nelson (a few steps from

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this marker); Mabel Ping-Hua Lee (a few steps from this marker); Maria Guadalupe Evangelina de Lopez (a few steps from this marker); Luella Johnston (a few steps from this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Sacramento.

More about this marker. This is one of nineteen markers that comprise the 19th Amendment Outdoor museum, erected in 2020 as part of the "I Vote" project, honoring suffragettes and their work.

Also see . . .
1. Jeannette Rankin (Iowa State University Archives of Women's Political Communication). "Jeannette Pickering Rankin was the first woman to hold federal office in the United States, with her 1916 election to the U.S. House of Representatives by the state of Montana. In 1940, she was elected to a second House term. A lifelong pacifist, she was one of 50 House members (and six senators) who opposed the war declaration of 1917, and the only member of Congress to vote against declaring war on Japan after the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941." (Submitted on April 22, 2021.)

2. Rankin, Jeannette (US House of Representatives). Excerpt: In November 1916, four years before the Nineteenth Amendment

Jeannette Rankin Marker - wide view image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Andrew Ruppenstein, April 20, 2021

2. Jeannette Rankin Marker - wide view

guaranteed the right of women to vote, Jeannette Rankin of Montana became the first woman elected to the United States Congress. During the first half of the twentieth century, Rankin served two nonconsecutive terms in the House which coincided with World War I and World War II. While she may be best known for her votes to keep America out of those conflicts, Rankin was also a tireless activist who worked to expand voting rights for women, to ensure better working conditions for laborers across America, and to improve health care for women and infants. Ultimately, she was a pathbreaker. “I may be the first woman member of Congress,” Rankin observed in 1917. “But I won’t be the last.” (Submitted on April 22, 2021.)

3. Jeannette Rankin: The First Woman Member of U.S Congress | Unladylike2020 | PBS (YouTube, 13 min.). (Submitted on April 22, 2021.)

<i>Jeannette Rankin, Chairman Montana Activities, holding suffrage banner</i> image. Click for full size.

photo courtesy of the Montana Historical Society, circa 1913

3. Jeannette Rankin, Chairman Montana Activities, holding suffrage banner

Credits. This page was last revised on February 7, 2023. It was originally submitted on April 22, 2021, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California. This page has been viewed 151 times since then and 10 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on April 22, 2021, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California.