Susanna M. Salter, America’s first female mayor
Day 63 / 365
America is a 250-year-old democracy, but it has been through quite a lot of transformations over the years. Women didn’t even have a right to vote till as late as 1920! But before that, the country had already witnessed the election of the first women to any political office. That woman was Sussane M. Salter and hre story is an interesting one.
During the election for mayor for Argonia in 1887, a few men put Sussane’s name on the slate of candidates as a prank. They were hoping that she would secure a humiliating loss, which would further discourage the women from getting involved with politics.
Their plan backfired horribly. The group “Women’s Christian Temperance Union” decided to support her. The Republican party decided to vote for her as well, in order to prevent the Democrat candidate from winning. In the end, Sussane won the election by a two-thirds majority!
Sussane did a good job as the mayor. She did know a lot about politics than those pranksters would have thought. Her father had been a mayor as well, and she was married to the son of a governor.
Sussane lived to be 101 years old. She died in 1961 in Oklahoma.
This story is part of my 365 Day Project for 2019. Read about it here
Yesterday’s blog — Doomsday rule