page_title: Timeline of women's suffrage in Texas
section_title: 1910s
hierarchical_section_title: Timeline of women's suffrage in Texas / 1910s
caption_attribution_description: English: Women voters broadside distributed in 1918.
context_page_description: This is a timeline of women's suffrage in Texas. Women's suffrage was brought up in Texas at the first state constitutional convention, which began in 1868. However, there was a lack of support for the proposal at the time to enfranchise women. Women continued to fight for the right to vote in the state. In 1918, women gained the right to vote in Texas primary elections. The Texas legislature ratified the 19th amendment on June 29, 1919, becoming the ninth state and the first Southern state to ratify the amendment. While white women had secured the vote, Black women still struggled to vote in Texas. In 1944, white primaries were declared unconstitutional. Poll taxes were outlawed in 1964 and the Voting Rights Act was passed in 1965, fully enfranchising Black women voters.
context_section_description: Throughout the 1910s, Eliza E. Peterson of Texarkana continues to speak around the country for the African American division of the WCTU of Texas. She also spoke out on women's suffrage.
  1911
  State representative, Jess Alexander Baker, introduces a suffrage amendment to the Texas Constitution in the Thirty-second Legislature.
  Jovita Idar begins to write pro-suffrage articles in her family's Spanish language newspaper, La Cronica.
  1912
  Anna Howard Shaw tours Texas and there is a revival of interest in women's suffrage.
  The Equal Franchise Society of San Antonio is formed.
  1913
  First women's suffrage convention since 1904 takes place in Texas at the St. Anthony Hotel in San Antonio. The Texas Woman Suffrage Association is revived and Eleanor Brackenridge is voted president.
  Texas women march with women from other states in Washington, D.C. for suffrage on the eve of Woodrow Wilson's inauguration.
  March 15 the first meeting of the Dallas Equal Suffrage Association (DESA) is held.
  October 23 "Equal Suffrage Day" is held at the Texas State Fair.
  1914
  The Texas Woman Suffrage Association holds its annual convention in Dallas, with eight local chapters in attendance.
  1915
  A women's suffrage bill for a Texas state constitutional amendment is approved in a committee of the Texas House of Representatives, but defeated by the House as a whole.
  January 18 Frank H. Burmeister introduces the women's suffrage resolution in the Texas Legislature.
  February 23 W.T. Bagby in the Texas House of Representatives argues that "woman suffrage was contrary to the laws of nature and the Bible." He states that allowing women to vote would lead to socialism and that women should stay in the home.
  Minnie Fisher Cunningham becomes president of the Texas Woman Suffrage Association. The annual convention was held at Galveston and had 21 local chapters attending.
  The Texas Federation of Women's Clubs comes out in endorsement of women's suffrage.
  Jane Y. McCallum is elected president of the Austin Woman Suffrage Association.
  Suffrage Day at the State Fair hosts 300 TESA delegates and a parade to the fairgrounds.
  1916
  March Pauline Wells from Brownsville started the Texas Association Opposed to Woman Suffrage.
  The Texas Woman Suffrage Association is renamed the Texas Equal Suffrage Association (TESA). The annual convention was held in Dallas.
  A Texas chapter of the suffrage group, the National Woman's Party is created.
  In Laredo, Texas, Jovita Idar and Eduardo Idar began publishing a newspaper, the Evolución which featured regular articles supporting women's suffrage.
  1917
  Major anti-suffrage governor, James Ferguson, is impeached with help from Cunningham and other suffragists.
  The annual convention of TESA is held in Waco.
  TESA moves its headquarters from Houston to Austin in order to better lobby the government of Texas.
  The Texas Federation of Colored Women's Clubs officially endorses women's suffrage efforts.
  In Galveston, Texas, a Negro Women's Voter League is formed.
  January 13 A bill by Jess A. Baker to create a constitutional amendment for women's suffrage gets a majority of votes, but fails to get the necessary two-thirds vote to pass. In addition to introducing this bill, Baker also introduces a bill to allow women to vote in the primary elections.
  April 9 Suffragists in Dallas march in the Patriotic Parade.
  July 7 The El Paso Equal Franchise League, led by Belle Critchett, calls out militant suffrage tactics.
  1918
  Christia Adair in Kingsville works with black and white women on petitions for women to vote in the Democratic primary election.
  The annual convention of TESA is held in Austin.
  January TESA lobbies Governor William P. Hobby on supporting a bill to allow women to vote in the primary election.
  February A primary suffrage bill is introduced by state representative, Charles B. Metcalfe.
  March 26 Hobby signs the primary voting bill into law.
  June 12 The El Paso Negro Woman's Civic and Enfranchisement League was formed by Maude Sampson.
  June 26 Women's right to vote in the primary takes effect, giving women 17 days to register for the July
caption: Women voters broadside distributed in 1918.
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