New Mexico and The Vote

In this episode, we look back at how far New Mexico has come since women got the right to vote 100 years ago, thanks to the ratification of the 19th Amendment. We also look at the voting challenges that remain today for both women and Native Americans, who received their right to vote decades after the 19th Amendment was ratified. Host Megan Kamerick also looks at what issues remain for gender equality, including the passing of the Equal Rights Amendment and convincing more women to run for public office. “New Mexico and the Vote” is a companion production to The American Experience documentary “The Vote” on PBS, which is still available for viewing on NMPBS.org.

So far in this podcast, we have explored the history of women's suffrage in New Mexico, as a companion production to The American Experience documentary "The Vote" on PBS. That film is available for streaming on NMPBS.org. 2020 marks 100 years since the ratification of the 19th Amendment, giving women the right to vote in the United States. But there was another part of the population that would have to wait decades to earn that same right to participate in the democratic process: Native Americans. Host Megan Kamerick explores this part of the state's history in this episode, including why so many Native Americans were actually skeptical of voting in general. 

Welcome to Episode 2 of "New Mexico and the Vote." This week, we continue our look at the history of women's suffrage in New Mexico and the ultimate ratification of the 19th Amendment. 

In the first episode we explored the history of suffrage in the West, including its links to colonization and white supremacy, and how New Mexico’s history differed sharply from those other Western states.  In this episode we pick up the thread after the 1910 constitutional convention ahead of statehood in 1912 which gave women limited suffrage by allowing them to vote in school elections.

From there, we will introduce some of the key individuals who used a variety of methods and strategies to push New Mexico over the finish line toward ratification. 

We will also share a hidden gem uncovered during our research, a rare and unique song, called “El corrido de la votación” or The Ballad of the Vote and explain why this piece in and of itself was such a strong argument for gender equality.

The American Southwest played a key role in the woman suffrage battle, as Western states led the charge to ratify the 19th Amendment. New Mexico’s fight to ensure women the right to vote, however, had a much different trajectory. After the Mexican-American War ended in 1848, the United States took over the territory once belonging to Mexico. Unlike other states that would be carved out of these lands, New Mexico had a lot of Spanish-speaking U.S. citizens, a legacy of conquest and colonization starting in the 1500s. That included women who were accustomed to more rights than women held in the United States. Host Megan Kamerick explores New Mexico’s unique history, and the key figures, many of them Hispanic women, who played an essential role in bringing the right to vote to the Land of Enchantment.

This week, we give you a taste of what this podcast is all about, and what you can expect to hear in the coming weeks about the suffrage movement here in New Mexico. 2020 marks the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment which gave women the right to vote. Host and Producer Megan Kamerick sits down with Executive Producer Kevin McDonald to talk about why she wanted to tell these stories, and how the suffragists stories are still so relevant today.