August 26, 2025 I www.ggrwhc.org I

Celebrate Womens Equality Day, August 26th



"We want the ballot because we have a right to the ballot, because we are intelligent human beings with hearts and brains. We want the ballot because it will create a fellowship and stronger union among women. I want the ballot as I want citizenship, because I am patriotic and this is my home, my city, my State and my Nation. I want the ballot because some things in this government do not please me and I want the satisfaction of trying to remedy them. . . There is nothing greater, nobler, or more important than politics or the art of government, especially within our democratic institutions."

Elizabeth Eaglesfield, Speech presented to 13th Annual Convention of the Michigan 5th District WCTU, Grand Rapids, April 1888.

“Elizabeth Eaglesfield,” University of Michigan Student Portrait Collection, 1877, Bentley Historical Library.

On this year's Women's Equality Day, GGRWHC celebrates Elizabeth Eaglesfield, the first female attorney to practice in Grand Rapids and a fierce and eloquent advocate for women's suffrage. In 1875, at the age of only 22, Eaglesfield became the first woman admitted to practice law in her home state of Indiana. Fittingly, today, the Indiana Historical Bureau is dedicating a historical marker in her honor.

Eaglesfield's admission to the bar in Indiana was just a prelude to the bulk of her career which was spent in Michigan, a phase of her life that had been largely overlooked before former GGRWHC board member and president, Jo Ellyn Clarey, "discovered" Eaglesfield while working on another research project. Although a law school degree was not required for practicing law, Eaglesfield left Indiana to attend the University of Michigan Law School and graduated in 1878, Eaglesfield opened a solo law practice in Grand Rapids in 1886 where she was an active club woman and suffragist. Eaglesfield's passion and gift for oratory are evident and no doubt played an important role in converting skeptics and advancing the cause of women's suffrage. Today we celebrate, Eaglesfield and others who persisted until the cause of women's suffrage was won and those who work to guard this precious right. For more on Eaglesfield . . .

Steps you can take to honor the work of women and men who fought for passage of the 19th Amendment:

Learn more about women's suffrage history and important local suffrage leaders by browsing the GGRWHC digital suffrage exhibit.

Register to vote (or share information on how to register to vote in Michigan)

Learn about the candidates and issues on the ballot in your district.

Take action!:

• Volunteer to help with local voter registration drives through the League of Women Voters or other nonprofits.

• Sign up to be an election worker.

• Learn about legislation and policies affecting voting rights in Michigan and express your views to legislators.

• Run for office, work on a campaign, or find other ways to participate in the democratic process.