- Born:
- June 11, 1880, near Missoula, Montana, U.S.
- Died:
- May 18, 1973, Carmel, California (aged 92)
- Political Affiliation:
- Republican Party
Jeannette Rankin
-
Who was Jeannette Rankin?
Jeannette Rankin (1880–1973) was the first woman to serve in the U.S. Congress, representing Montana in the House of Representatives (1917–1919, 1941–1943). A dedicated feminist, pacifist, and advocate for social and electoral reform, she graduated from the University of Montana in 1902 and later worked as a social worker.
Rankin campaigned for woman suffrage and, in 1916, was elected to the House. There, she introduced a bill promoting women's citizenship independent of their husbands and supported hygiene instruction for mothers and infants. As an isolationist, she was one of the few to vote against declaring war on Germany in 1917 and on Japan after Pearl Harbor, effectively ending her political career.
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What important 'first' is Jeannette Rankin known for in American politics?
Jeannette Rankin (1880–1973) holds the distinction of being the first woman to serve as a member of the U.S. Congress. Representing Montana in the House of Representatives, she served from 1917 to 1919 and again from 1941 to 1943.
A dedicated feminist, pacifist, and advocate for social and electoral reform, Rankin championed women's rights and social welfare. During her first term, she notably voted against declaring war on Germany in 1917, reflecting her isolationist stance. Later, in 1941, she was the sole member of Congress to vote against declaring war on Japan after the Pearl Harbor attack. Learn more about her life and career.
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What state did Jeannette Rankin represent in Congress?
Jeannette Rankin represented Montana in the U.S. House of Representatives for two terms, 1917–19 and 1941–43. In 1916, as a Republican, Rankin was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, becoming the first woman to hold a seat in either chamber. In 1914, she led a successful campaign for woman suffrage in Montana. She also served as the legislative secretary of the National American Woman Suffrage Association. A lifelong pacifist, Rankin is also the only member of Congress to vote against U.S. involvement in both World War I and World War II.
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What major issue was Jeannette Rankin a strong supporter of during her career?
Throughout her career, Jeannette Rankin was a strong supporter of feminism, pacifism, social reform, and electoral reform. As the first woman in Congress, she advocated for women's rights, introducing a bill for women's independent citizenship and supporting hygiene instruction in maternity and infancy. Rankin twice voted against war, reflecting her pacifism, and she remained active in social reform and peace movements, protesting against the Vietnam War in her later years.
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How did Jeannette Rankin vote on the United States entering World War I and World War II?
Jeannette Rankin, the first woman in Congress, representing Montana, was a dedicated feminist, pacifist, and advocate for social reform.
As a congresswoman, Rankin was one of 49 members to vote against declaring war on Germany in 1917, during World War I. Running on an anti-war platform, she won reelection to the House in 1940. After the Pearl Harbor attack, she was the only legislator to vote against the declaration of war on Japan, effectively ending her political career. Thus, she is the only member of Congress to have voted against US involvement in both World War I and World War II.
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How has Jeannette Rankin influenced later generations of women in politics?
Jeannette Rankin, the first woman to serve in the U.S. Congress, influenced later generations of women in politics through her pioneering role and advocacy for women's rights and pacifism.
As legislative secretary of the National American Woman Suffrage Association, Rankin helped women in Montana gain the right to vote in 1914, before the Nineteenth Amendment. In 1916, she was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. Rankin introduced the first bill that would have allowed women citizenship independent of their husbands and also supported government-sponsored hygiene instruction in maternity and infancy. After Rankin, the number of women in Congress steadily increased, and in 2007, Nancy Pelosi became the House’s first female speaker. In 1968, Rankin led 5,000 women to Capitol Hill to demonstrate opposition to the hostilities in Indochina.
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Jeannette Rankin (born June 11, 1880, near Missoula, Montana, U.S.—died May 18, 1973, Carmel, California) was the first woman member of the U.S. Congress, representing Montana in the House of Representatives (1917–19, 1941–43). Rankin was a vigorous feminist and a lifetime pacifist and crusader for social and electoral reform.
Rankin graduated from the University of Montana in 1902. She subsequently attended the New York School of Philanthropy (later the New York, then the Columbia, School of Social Work) before embarking on a career of social work in Seattle, Washington, in 1909. Caught up in the rising tide of sentiment for woman suffrage, she campaigned effectively for the next five years in Washington, California, and Montana on behalf of the cause. In 1914 she became legislative secretary of the National American Woman Suffrage Association, and in that same year she led a successful campaign for woman suffrage in her native Montana.
In 1916 Rankin, a Republican, was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, and after taking office the following year, she became the first woman to hold a seat in either chamber. She introduced the first bill that would have allowed women citizenship independent of their husbands and also supported government-sponsored hygiene instruction in maternity and infancy. Reflecting a deep-seated pacifism, she became an outspoken isolationist and was one of 49 members of Congress to vote against declaring war on Germany in 1917.
With that unpopular vote, Rankin faced certain defeat if she ran for reelection in her redrawn congressional district, which had become heavily Democratic. Thus, in 1918 she sought a seat in the U.S. Senate. After narrowly losing in the Republican primary, she ran as an independent the general election but lost. After the war she became a lobbyist and later returned to social work.
Running on an antiwar platform in 1940, Rankin once again won election to the House. She created a furor as the only legislator to vote against the declaration of war on Japan after the raid on Pearl Harbor (December 7, 1941), effectively terminating her political career with this vote. She did not seek reelection but continued to lecture on various aspects of social reform. She was active in the National Consumers League, the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, and other reform organizations. Her militant feminism remained unabated as late as the 1960s, when she founded a self-sufficient women’s “cooperative homestead” in Georgia. She also became active again in the peace movement, urging women to demand a halt to the U.S. intervention in Vietnam. On January 15, 1968, at the age of 87, she led 5,000 women, calling themselves the “Jeannette Rankin Brigade,” to the foot of Capitol Hill to demonstrate opposition to the hostilities in Indochina.