New Hampshire’s Sarah Josepha Hale, the mother of Thanksgiving. (Courtesy of Library of Congress)
New Hampshire has been home to many trailblazing women who pushed boundaries and fought for equality. Here are four groundbreaking Granite State women who didn’t just make history—they shaped the future. Their fight for equality still inspires activists today.
1. Marilla Ricker (1840–1920) – The Woman Who Refused to Be Silenced
Long before women had the right to vote, Marilla Ricker of Dover was determined to cast her ballot. In 1870, she became the first woman in New Hampshire to attempt to vote, submitting her ballot every year in protest.
- A lawyer, suffragist, and freethinker, Ricker fought for women’s rights and legal equality.
- She tried be New Hampshire’s governor in 1910—not because she thought she’d win, but to make a statement about women’s exclusion from politics.
- She famously declared: “There is no gender in brain.
RELATED: Unearthing untold stories: Forgotten women of New Hampshire
2. Armenia S. White (1817–1916) – The Suffrage Movement’s Leading Lady
Armenia White of Concord was a driving force behind women’s suffrage in New Hampshire.
- She was the first president of the NH Woman’s Suffrage Association.
- Along with her husband, she was a major philanthropist who supported abolition, temperance, and social reform.
- Her advocacy helped pave the way for women’s right to vote, which finally became law in 1920—just four years after her death.
3. Mary Inez Wood (1866–1945) – A Voice for Women’s Rights
Mary Inez Wood wasn’t just an activist—she was a leader in the movement to educate and empower women.
- She was the first president of the NH League of Women Voters, working to inform women about their new voting rights.
- As Manager of the Bureau of Information for the General Federation of Women’s Clubs, she advocated for women’s education and civic engagement.
- She wrote History of the General Federation of Women’s Clubs and was hailed as “one of the most loved and respected women of New Hampshire.”
4. Elizabeth Gurley Flynn (1890–1964) – The Rebel with a Cause
Born in Concord, Elizabeth Gurley Flynn became one of America’s most famous labor activists and free speech advocates.
- A founding member of the ACLU, she fought for workers’ rights, birth control access, and women’s equality.
- She led strikes, organized protests, and challenged the male-dominated labor movement.
Expelled from the ACLU in 1940 due to her ties to the Communist Party, Flynn remained a lifelong activist for social justice.
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