She Became America’s First Female Mayor Because of a Sexist Prank
When 20 men led a dirty joke on Susanna M. Salter & it backfired.
Have you ever known that the first American woman who became mayor was due to a sexist prank? If you didn’t, then let’s turn you into a cool encyclopedia of historical facts:
The Opposition of Women Empowerment
Back in 1887, several men turned against the participation of women in politics. They completely opposed the notion of women empowerment, but despite such opposition, they nominated a woman for the mayor’s office of Argonia, Kansas.
Their aim? They wanted the female candidate to suffer from an overwhelming defeat which would lower the morale of women and remind them to never run for office again. Such humiliation tactic was to discourage women — a sexist prank for the chauvinist to chuckle over.
The men nominated Susanna Madora Salter, who won the election and zipped every mouth, putting eggs on the prankster’s faces. The woman not only won the elections but also fulfilled her duties exceptionally well.
Political Participation of American Women
Talking about the life of an American woman before 1920, they had very little political voice. They were not granted voting rights until the Nineteenth Amendment Act.
Although, in the preceding decades, some states gave women the franchise to vote, like Kansas, where women secured the right to vote in the municipal elections.
Several against women’s suffrage indicated the horrors of women’s empowerment. Among such opponents were the men of Argonia who wanted to sketch their concept of females in politics through Susanna M. Salter.
Early Life of America’s First Female Mayor
Born in 1860, Susanna M. Salter moved to Kansas from Ohio at the age of twelve. She met her future husband while pursuing her higher education.
The couple got married in 1880, moved to Argonia, and started a family with Susan, eventually, bearing nine children.
Women’s Christian Temperance Union & Susanna M. Salter
Susanna’s active participation started in an anti-alcohol organization called Women’s Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) that advocated prohibition.
With the expansion of women’s voting rights in Kansas municipal elections, the women of the WCTC organization got the opportunity to put forth their issue circling the prohibition law.
They aimed at the enforcement of such a law thus also gathered a few like-minded male candidates on board.
Their bliss of exercising newly gotten rights did not sit well with many males — especially with some twenty men. They didn’t appreciate women’s involvement in politics and their cause which they were fighting for — the pre-prohibition stance.
To kill two birds with one stone, those men placed the name of Susana Salter to head the slate as mayor on the ballot. By placing a woman’s name on the mayoral ballot, they expected a tremendous good laugh.
They took advantage of the fact that no legal permission was required to secure the consent of candidates who were to participate.
The Prank Backfired
Assuming no man would vote for Salter, the pranksters expected women’s humiliation, but little did they know that the sun of April 4th would welcome them with a lesson.
As the polls opened on 4th April, it surprised Susana M.Salter the most — she was completely unaware of the prank and about her name being on the ballot.
She did not know until a local republication party delegation graced her house, questioning if she was running for office.
The delegation further inquired if she would be interested in winning and, upon that Salter affirmed.
The Republications and the Women’s Christian Temperance Union voted for Salter, making her secure over 60% of the votes, giving America its first female mayor.
Hinting towards her term, it wasn’t much eventful, but what caught global news was her election process — the humiliators got humiliated.
The domestic press and foreign press used to attend Arognia’s town meeting, and further women’s suffrage got the immense motivation. The only people who suffered were the chauvinist pranksters.
Eventually, Salter resettled in Oklahoma, where she passed away at the ripe age of 101 in 1961.
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