Whereas, Illinois had long been at the forefront of the movement to provide women the right to vote;

Whereas, in Illinois the first women's suffrage association was established in Earlville in LaSalle County in 1855, just seven years after the first women's rights convention in Seneca Falls, New York which called for suffrage for women;

Whereas, the first statewide suffrage organization, the Illinois Woman Suffrage Association was established in 1869, becoming the Illinois Equal Suffrage Association in 1891;

Whereas, also in 1891, Illinois enacted a law allowing women the right to vote for elective school offices;

Whereas, in 1913 Illinois enacted the Presidential Suffrage Bill which gave Illinois women the right to vote in federal and municipal elections, not otherwise restricted to men under the Illinois Constitution;

Whereas, with the enactment of that law, Illinois became the first state east of the Mississippi River to give women such right to vote for President of the United States, and is credited with being a major positive influence in advancing the women's suffrage movement in the United States;

Whereas, on June 4, 1919, the proposed 19 ^th Amendment to the United States Constitution was passed by the United States Congress and sent to the States for ratification;

Whereas, 100 years ago on June 10, 1919, Illinois became the first State to ratify the 19 ^th Amendment (one hour prior to Wisconsin);

Whereas, Illinois led the way for the necessary three-fourths of the States to ratify the 19 ^th Amendment, which became part of the Constitution on August 26, 1920;

(The River Forest Village Board has approved and the Forest Park and Oak Park Village Boards will be approving this resolution at their June Board meetings.)