Abigail Duniway was born on October 22, 1834 in Groveland,
Illinois and they migrated to Oregon in 1852. There were nine children in the
family and each child was given a specific task for the trip to Oregon and
Abigail’s was to keep a daily journal.
This journal laid the groundwork for two novels later in her life.
Shortly after settling in Oregon Abigail married Benjamin Duniway and they settled on a farm and had six children. In 1862 they lost the farm when a friend, whose notes Benjamin had endorsed, defaulted. Shortly thereafter Benjamin was permanently disabled by an accident and Abigail became the sole provider for the family. Abigail was incensed that a man could jeopardize his family and their security without even consulting with his wife and thus, began her interest in the women’s movement. She firmly believed that woman’s inequality with man could only be rectified through the vote and for the next twenty five years she travelled the country lecturing on woman’s suffrage.
Shortly after settling in Oregon Abigail married Benjamin Duniway and they settled on a farm and had six children. In 1862 they lost the farm when a friend, whose notes Benjamin had endorsed, defaulted. Shortly thereafter Benjamin was permanently disabled by an accident and Abigail became the sole provider for the family. Abigail was incensed that a man could jeopardize his family and their security without even consulting with his wife and thus, began her interest in the women’s movement. She firmly believed that woman’s inequality with man could only be rectified through the vote and for the next twenty five years she travelled the country lecturing on woman’s suffrage.
Oregon granted women the right to vote in 1912 and Abigail
was given much credit for the passage of this legislation. Despite being
confined to a wheelchair, she wrote the suffrage proclamation which she
co-signed with the governor and became Oregon’s first registered woman voter.
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