Some People Don’t Know That Iowa Was The First State To Do These 10 Things
Iowa has always been one of the more progressive states. Since gaining statehood in 1846, we have been taking big strides to be a leader in civil rights and equality. From being the first state to allow women to go to college, to constructing the first mosque in America, here are 10 things that Iowa was the first state in the U.S. to do.
1. In 1857, The University of Iowa became the first state university in the nation to open its degree programs to women.
2. In 1869, Iowan Julia C. Addington became the first woman in the United States to be elected to a public office. She was elected to be Mitchell County Superintendent.
3. In 1871, Ada E. North became the first woman in the United States to be appointed to a statewide office. She was appointed as the Iowa State Librarian.
4. In 1869, Iowa became the first state to allow women to join the bar, which led to Iowa having the first female attorney in the U.S.: Arabella Mansfield.
While these next few are seconds rather than firsts, they are still extremely important examples of how Iowa was making history with its progressiveness.
8. In 1846, Iowa became the second state in the nation to allow married women to own property.
Michaela is a born and raised Iowan. She writes for a newspaper by day, and writes content for websites by night. In her spare time, she enjoys reading a good book, or just binge watching Netflix.
