Logo courtesy of The Friends of California Archives

CALIFORNIA (MPG) – The Friends of California Archives joins in the March celebration of Women’s History Month, paying tribute to the contributions of California women – from the famous to the forgotten. 

According to the 1850 U.S. Census, at the height of the Gold Rush, 6927 “white” women and 90 “free colored” women were living in California.

“Our new state constitution was a mixed bag for women,” said Caren Daniels Lagomarsino, president of The Friends of California Archives. “It prohibited women from voting, but it allowed them to retain property acquired prior to marriage as well as property acquired independently after marriage. For many years, certain occupations, such as the practice of law, were off-limits to women. In the subsequent 175 years, and facing long odds, California women have shattered gender barriers in every phase of life – from politics and the workplace to popular culture.”  

Notable Figures

In 1866, Mary Ellen Pleasant, an African American, sued a San Francisco transportation company after she was refused admittance on a streetcar, prompting the company to change its policy.

In 1878, Clara Foltz, a single mother with five small children, wrote and successfully lobbied the State Legislature to allow women to practice law in California. She became the state’s first female attorney and forced the Hastings College of Law to admit women.

In the early 20th century, activist women’s clubs ran successful campaigns to save large groves of ancient redwoods in the North Coast, Sierra foothills and Santa Cruz Mountains. In 1911, after an intense and innovative statewide campaign, California women won the right to vote – narrowly prevailing by a scant 3,587 votes. The first four women were elected to the State Assembly in 1918.

In 1976, the first woman – Rose Ann Vuich – was elected to the State Senate. After the 2024 elections, females represented a majority of the upper house, although California remains one of 17 states that has never elected a woman governor. 

The nation’s first Women’s History celebration was a week-long local event in Santa Rosa in 1978, sponsored by Sonoma County’s Commission on the Status of Women. The event gained national attention, and in 1987 Congress passed a law designating March as Women’s History Month. 

We invite you to visit the following California State Library research guide on California women’s history and voting rights: www.library.ca.gov/wp content/uploads/2021/08/WomenResearch.pdf

An online exhibit about women’s suffrage from the California State Archives can be found at: https://www.sos.ca.gov/archives/women-get-right-vote/history womens-suffrage-california 

We also invite you to visit https://thefriendsofcaarchives.org/ for stories on California trailblazers, links to oral histories, and information about our book on pioneering women in politics and public policy (The Time Travelers), which is designed for middle school students and has been honored as recommended reading by the California State Library. 

The Friends of California Archives is a 501 (c) (3) organization that promotes the Golden State’s history by encouraging the preservation of archival materials and supporting their use through publications, lectures, grants, scholarships, exhibits, oral histories and research. For the first time, this year The Friends of California Archives will be part of the Big Day of Giving on May 7 at bigdayofgiving.org/organization/The-Friends-Of-California-Archives.