This Wednesday, the Gem State is celebrating “Idaho Day,” a nod to the day when President Abraham Lincoln created what was then the Idaho Territory.
For a year in the 1860s, the territory encompassed modern-day Idaho, Montana and most of Wyoming. Lincoln was putting his stamp on the west during the Civil War, ensuring that rebel forces would not get to claim the area for the south.
This year, Idahoans will look back on that day and the years that came after with special attention to voting rights. That’s because the state is recognizing 100 years since women’s suffrage.
But just because white women gained the vote at that time doesn’t mean marginalized groups including Native American women, African American women, and other groups had the same rights.
Today, two women who helped organize this year’s Idaho Day join Idaho Matters: Liz Hobson from the Idaho State Museum and Janet Gallimore with the Idaho State Historical Society.
Have a question or comment for the show? Tweet @KBSX915 using #IdahoMatters
