When World War I started in 1914, the U.S. started with a strict policy of neutrality. The policy was tested when German U-boats sunk the Lusitania in 1915, killing 124 Americans. The U.S. demanded that Germany stop engaging in unrestricted warfare, and Germany agreed, allowing neutral ships with non-military passengers to pass without attack. However, in 1917 Germany resumed unrestricted …
Martha Hughes Cannon, First Female Senator: Stories of Utah Women
Early Life Martha Hughes was born in Wales in 1857. Her parents were recent converts to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, immigrating to Utah when Martha was four years old in 1861. Martha’s father, Peter Hughes, died of consumption just days after they arrived. Her mother remarried about a year later and the family settled in Salt …
First Two Women in the House: Stories of Utah Women
The newly ratified Utah State Constitution finally provided women the right to vote and to hold office in 1896. Sarah E. Anderson and Eurithe K. Barthe were elected for the very next term in the State House of Representatives. Eurithe K. LaBarthe Eurithe K. LaBarthe was born in Illinois in 1845, moved to Colorado where she was a teacher and …
150 Years of Utah Suffrage: Stories of Utah Women
On February 14, 1870 Seraph Young marked her ballot for the Salt Lake City municipal election and dropped it in the box. She was the first woman in the United States to vote. Seraph arrived in Utah in 1847, when she was less than a year old. The Pioneer Jubilee book lists Seraph Young (Ford) as one of the first …
Legislative Updates to GRAMA and PRMA
In the 2019 session, the Utah Legislature updated the Government Records Access and Management Act (GRAMA) and the Public Records Management Act (PRMA). Senator Wayne Harper, sponsored two bills (Senate bills 25 and 108) which contained the most significant changes. With Senate bill 25, the Legislature created a new records management committee. This new committee will approve records retention schedules …