Program

National Votes for Women Trail

Subject

People

Location

126 W Pine St, Georgetown, DE 19947, USA

Lat/Long

38.686743, -75.387778

Grant Recipient

National Collaborative for Women's History Sites

Sussex County resident and suffrage leader Margaret W. Houston (1864-1937) served as the vice president of the Delaware Equal Suffrage Association in 1896. Houston held additional leadership roles, including founder & first president of the Georgetown, Delaware, New Century Club, and later, president of Delaware State Federation of Women’s Clubs. In addition to her contributions toward woman suffrage, Houston was active in her community and helped establish the town library here in 1899.

An April 7, 1920 article in The Evening Journal included the following excerpt from letter authored by Margaret W. Houston:

The anti-suffragists are claiming that 99% of women do not want to vote. In the campaign for ratification, during the past 9 months, I have not found one woman who said she would not vote when the opportunity came; and while they would not take a decided stand their attitude was one of “watchful waiting,” The invariable reply is “ I know it is coming and we should prepare for it, because when it does come I shall vote.”