Woman suffrage political cartoon, 1916
Item 5492 info
Maine Historical Society
Efforts to win woman suffrage included lobbying to amend the federal constitution as well as state constitutions.
After many years of lobbying, Maine women finally were successful in 1917 in securing a referendum vote to amend the state constitution to allow full suffrage for women.
However, World War I started in April 1917, hampering efforts to organize support for the suffrage referendum.
In addition, because of animosity between the National Women's Party and the National American Woman Suffrage Association, women were not supposed to be members of both groups, which limited the ability of some supporters to actively promote the Maine referendum.
Therefore, women who disagreed with the policy formed the Equal Suffrage Referendum League and appointed Florence Brooks Whitehouse, a supporter of the National Women's Party, as chair.
The Maine Suffrage Amendment was defeated by a vote of 40,000-20,000. Only men could vote in the election.
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