(Publisher’s note: this was the winning essay in the seventh grade division of a contest hosted by the Sweetwater County Historical Museum.)
Over 150 years ago on Dec. 10, 1869 arguably one of the most memorable moments in history was put into action. Leaders in Wyoming granted women to vote and hold power in law making and office. This simple action pioneered equality for women across the United States. One woman in woman’s rights history that I would like to focus on is Ester Hobart Morris. According to the U.S. National Park Service, Morris was born on August 8th, 1814 in Tioga County, New York. After women were granted the right to hold office and vote in Wyoming, Morris was appointed to be the “Justice of the Peace” of Sweetwater County, Wyoming in 1870. As Justice of the Peace, Morris was essentially a judge. She heard minor cases, granted licenses and held marriages. After eight months in office, Morris was not reelected be the republican or democrat parties and moved to Laramie, Wyoming with her son, Archy and her daughter in law. Though she was not holding a position in office, Morris still was an advocate for woman’s rights. According to the National Park Service, “she attended the American Woman Suffrage Association convention in San Francisco, and in 1876 served as the vice president of the National American Woman Suffrage Association.” Eventually, on April 3, 1902, Morris sadly passed away in Cheyenne, Wyoming. A statue was built in the National Statuary Hall Collection in Washington D.C. and outside the Wyoming State capital to honor and represent Morris for pushing equality for women.
As I see it, Morris inspired me and many other young girls to push for what they see fair in the world. Morris once said: “Circumstances have transpired to make my position as a Justice of the Peace a test of woman’s ability to hold public office, I feel that my work has been satisfactory.” This quote really shows that as a female in the 1800’s, Morris didn’t like what she saw. She felt that women weren’t treated as equals. She decided to take a stand and hold power as the first female judge in the United States. In my perspective, this must have been terrifying, knowing that everyone is watching you to see what happens. The fact that she was so brave and still decided to push through speaks volumes to me. Often times, I feel powerless. “How can I make a difference in such a big world when I am so small?” I say to myself a lot. When I feel like this, I think of people like Morris who might have felt the same way at one point. I think of everything they fought through, every obstacle they overcame, and I think about what they achieved. What these people in history achieved in the end made the world a happier and better place to be. Morris has truly inspired me to fight for what I see unfair in the world and try to change it.
Last year, I fell in love with theater and everything about it. I am truly grateful to have had the opportunity to explore the arts more in depth. It is crazy to think that not too long ago, I wouldn’t have been able to pursue theater. One example I would like to use is that in ancient Greece, all roles in theater were played by males. Men would portray females and males in shows. Actresses weren’t welcome to act and this is really upsetting to me. I couldn’t imagine life without theater. People like Morris who fought for female rights have given me the right to act. This is merely one example. As a female, I can now be a mayor if I wanted, be a supreme court judge, vote for our next president, I could even be president if I wanted! This one act creates more paths for me to follow and truly changes my life.
Because people like Morris stepped up and pioneered women’s rights, we live in a better world. Girls can be inspired to be anything creating more hard-working citizens in the world. One of the many examples is Stephanie Kwolek. Kwolek invented Kevlar, a bulletproof material that is stronger than steel. This invention saved the lives of police officers, soldiers, and so many more. Thanks to Morris, Stephanie was able to studies in science and create inventions like Kevlar. In law making, we get a broader perspective and new ideas on how we should lead as a country and what we need to change. Without women, a lot of topics wouldn’t be touched on and would never be solved. With voting, women being able to vote pushes politicians to see the world from someone else’s perspective and push to help make their lives better. This gives everyone an equal chance to succeed. In so many ways, women like Morris who helped women gain rights changed the world and the perspective on how everyone is equal.
Hence, Morris and other women in her time pioneered the world of equality and changed it for the better. By being the first woman to hold political power, Morris proved that there is always a way to change the world. She inspired me to try harder, changed my life and what I can do as far as law, theater, and voting, and changed the world by inspiring other females to vote, invent, and so much more. She changed the world and the topic of equality and perspective of issues. So, today I leave you with the simple yet complex question, how do you intend to inspire the coming generations?
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