Outline

I. Woman Suffrage in Texas to 1914

II. Prohibition in Texas to 1914

III. James Ferguson as Governor, 1914-17

IV. Victory for Suffrage & Prohibition

Woman Suffrage• TX women = no

voting rights since the Republic

• Many TX women joined growing nat’l movement for the vote (many also refused)

Minnie Fisher Cunningham

• Galveston pharmacist who headed the TX Equal Suffrage Association

• Publicity through writings, speeches, public rallies & political lobbying

Prohibition

• Effort to criminalize sale & manufacture of alcohol

• Until 1919, “local option” in effect -- each town/county determined local alcohol rules

“Drys”

Supporters of Prohibition:

Rural folk in North & Central TX, mostly on religious grounds

Doctors who regarded alcohol as unhealthy

Businessmen who wanted sober workers

“Wets”• Opponents of Prohibition:

most Germans, Czechs, & Hispanics Anglos disagreeing w/ gov’t power over personal

behavior

• By 1914, wets barely kept voters from approving a state constit. amendment banning liquor

James Ferguson (I)• Opposed Prohibition +

woman suffrage

• Elected gov. in 1914 by splitting the dry vote:

• Supported aid for rural schools + limit on tenant farmer rents

James Ferguson (II)• Re-elected in 1916;

involved in fight w/ UT during 2nd term

• Wanted to cut UT funding, remove some faculty & appoint a new UT president

James Ferguson (III)• UT alumni joined other

Ferguson opponents to investigate the gov.

• Some evidence found: misuse of state funds + illegal gifts received

• Move to impeach

James Ferguson (IV)• TX House of Reps.

impeached Ferguson

• Resigned, but the TX Senate convicted him anyway

• Barred from ever holding a state office

William Hobby• New gov.; Houston

newspaper man

• Supported Prohibition & woman suffrage

• TX Legis. + majority of Texans voted for statewide Prohibition amendment (1919)

Morris Sheppard

• US Senator from Texas

• Sponsored the 18th

Amendment establishing nationwide Prohibition

• Ratified in 1919; in effect until repealed in 1933

Passage of Woman Suffrage (I)• Hobby signed state

law allowing women to vote in primaries

• He wanted a state amendment allowing full suffrage

• Rejected in 1919 vote

Passage of Woman Suffrage (II)• TX. Legislature was 1st

in South to ratify a fed. suffrage amendment

• 19th Amendment ratified (1920) banned states from denying vote based on gender