Esther Hobart Morris | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Esther Hobart McQuigg August 8, 1814 Spencer, New York, U.S. |
| Died | April 2, 1902 (aged 87) Cheyenne, Wyoming, U.S. |
| Occupation | Justice of the peace |
| Known for | Nation's first female judge |
| Spouses | |
Esther Hobart Morris (August 8, 1814 – April 2, 1902)[a] was an American judge who was the first woman justice of the peace in the United States.[1] She began her tenure as justice in South Pass City, Wyoming, on February 14, 1870, serving a term of nearly nine months.[1][2] The Sweetwater County Board of County Commissioners appointed Morris as justice of the peace after the previous justice, R. S. Barr, resigned in protest of Wyoming Territory's passage of the women's suffrage amendment in December 1869.[2][3]
Popular stories and historical accounts, as well as by state and federal public monuments, point to Morris as a leader in the passage of Wyoming's suffrage amendment. However, Morris's leadership role in the legislation is disputed.[4][5][6] Morris herself never claimed any credit, ascribing the bill entirely to William H. Bright, who was member of the territorial legislature from South Pass City and President of the Territorial Council.[1][7]
- ^ a b c d e Cummings, Kathryn Swim (2019). Esther Hobart Morris, The Unembellished Story of the Nation's First Female Judge. Glendo, WY: High Plains Press.
- ^ a b Delbride, Rena. "Trailblazer: Wyoming's first female judge, Esther Hobart Morris was ahead of her time". Made in Wyoming, Our Legacy of Success. Archived from the original on April 26, 2009. Retrieved February 4, 2009.
- ^ Cheney, Lynne (April 1973). "It all began in Wyoming". American Heritage. Archived from the original on April 26, 2009.
- ^ Loewen, James W. (October 16, 2007). Lies across America: What our historic sites get wrong. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 9780743296298.ISBN 0-7432-9629-X
- ^ Scharff, Virginia (1989), "Grace Raymond Hebard: The Independent and Feminine Life; 1861–1936", in Clifford, Geraldine Joncich (ed.), Lone Voyagers: Academic Women in Coeducational Universities. 1870–1937, The City University of New York, New York, NY: The Feminist Press
- ^ Lamont, Victoria (2006). "More than she deserves: Woman Suffrage memorials in the Equality State" (PDF). Canadian Review of American Studies. 36: 17–43. doi:10.1353/crv.2006.0027. S2CID 154863122.
- ^ Massie, Michael A. "Reform is where you find it: The roots of Woman Suffrage in Wyoming" (PDF).
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