1838 – The United States Congress created the Iowa Territory.3
1839
– Abner Kneeland, a pantheist, arrived in Iowa after being arrested in
Massachusetts for his religious beliefs. He and his followers sought to
practice their religion freely.4
1839
– “The Case of Ralph” was decided by the Territorial Supreme Court
allowing a slave residing in Iowa to retain his freedom. “No man in
this territory can be reduced to slavery”5 proclaimed the court.
Sources:
1
“Brief Amici Curiae of Iowa Professors of Law and History,” 4 (2007),
available at
http://data.lambdalegal.org/pdf/legal/varnum/iowa-historians-and-law-professors-iowa-supreme-court-
brief.pdf
2 Iowa Constitution as qotd. in “Brief Amici Curiae,” 4 (2007).
3 Chronological history of Iowa, available at http://www.shgresources.com/ia/timeline/.
4 Ibid.
5 “Brief Amici Curiae,” 5 (2007).
“In 1834,
a Missouri resident named Montgomery entered into a written agreement
with his slave Ralph. The agreement allowed Ralph to reside in the Iowa
territory to earn money to purchase his freedom for $550 plus interest.
Ralph went to Dubuque where he found a job working in the lead mines.
He failed to pay this amount and after five years had passed Montgomery
sent bounty hunters to abduct Ralph and return him to Missouri. Ralph
was brought before the district court by a writ of habeas corpus, and
the proceedings were transferred to the Iowa Supreme Court, which
agreed to hear the case.6” "The Case of Ralph" decision was overturned
by the United States Supreme Court Dred Scott v. Sandford decision of
1857.
1846 – State of Iowa Admitted to United States.
“Ansel
Briggs was elected the first governor of the state of Iowa on October
26, 1846, before Iowa had been admitted to the Union. The newly elected
General Assembly of the state of Iowa met on November 30, 1846, also
before Iowa had been admitted to the Union. The statehood bill was
passed by the House of Representatives on December 12, 1846; by the
Senate on December 24, 1846; and was signed into law on December 28,
1846.”7
1847 – Great Seal of the State of Iowa Adopted.
“The
Great Seal of the State of Iowa is used on official documents, such as
bills that become law, and on proclamations of governors. The
description of the seal has not been changed since it was adopted by
the General Assembly in February, 1847. The seal reads: ‘Our liberties
we prize, and our rights we will maintain.’ ” 8
1851 – The Iowa territorial law of 1839 banning interracial marriage was eliminated.
“Iowa
was the third state to reject the “anti-miscegenation” law. Bans on the
law in neighboring states took many years to follow suit: such bans
fell in Illinois in 1874; South Dakota 1957; in Nebraska in 1963; and
in Missouri not until 1967, after the United States Supreme Court
struck down all miscegenation laws in Loving v. Virginia.”9
1855 – The University of Iowa opens, admitting both men and women on an equal basis.
“The
first student body numbered 124, of which 41 were women. The
University of Iowa was the first public university to grant a law
degree to a woman (1873) and to an African American (1879), and the
first to put an African American student on a varsity athletic squad.
The University also had the first female college newspaper editor in
1907. U of I also was also the first state university to recognize an
LGBT student organization
Sources:
6 “
Early Civil Rights Cases,” Iowa Judicial Branch, available at
http://www.judicial.state.ia.us/Public_Information/Iowa_Courts_History/Civil_Rights/
7 “Iowa History Timeline,” Iowa Pathways, available at
http://www.iptv.org/iowapathways/timeline_text.cfm?timeChunkStart=1840&timeChunkEnd=1849
8 Ibid.
9 “Brief Amici Curiae,” 14 (2007).
and the first public institution to offer insurance benefits to domestic partners of its employees.”10
1856
– The General Assembly passed an act permitting the Native American
Indians still in the state to remain here, particularly in Tama
County.11
1857 – Iowa's Constitution goes into effect.
“One
of the major debates at Iowa’s constitutional convention focused on
Article I, § 1. By the end of the convention the words of the first
Article were changed from “All men are by nature, free and
independent,” to ‘All men are, are by nature, free and equal.’ ”12
1868 – The Iowa Supreme Court rules on the landmark Clark v. The Board of Directors.
“On
September 12, 1867, 12-year-old Susan Clark was denied admission to
Muscatine's Second Ward Common School Number 2 because she was black.
Her father, Alexander Clark, brought a lawsuit to allow admission of
his daughter to the public schools. In 1868, the Iowa Supreme Court
held that "separate" was not "equal" and ordered Susan Clark, an
African-American, admitted to the public schools. This effectively
integrated Iowa's schools 96 years before the federal court decision,
Brown v. the Board of Education in Topeka, did the same thing on a
national scale. Alexander Clark, Jr. was the first black graduate of
the College of Law at the University of Iowa. Alexander Clark, Sr. was
the second one.”13
1869 – Woman Suffrage Convention Held in Mount Pleasant.
“In
the spring of 1870 Quaker activist Joseph A. Dugdale issued a call for
a state convention to organize the Iowa Woman Suffrage Association in
Mt. Pleasant. Dugdale was a nationally-known anti-slavery activist.
After the Civil War he turned his energies to the woman's suffrage
movement. The convention was a major event in southeast Iowa.
About 1,200 people attended; speakers included Amelia Bloomer and Annie Savery.”14
1869
– Iowa Supreme Court ruled that women may not be denied the right to
practice law in Iowa and admitted Arabella A. Mansfield to the bar.
“Mansfield
prepared for the bar exam by studying with her brother, Washington I.
Babb of Mt. Pleasant. The examining committee for the bar stated that
Mansfield’s admission was authorized, “not only by the language of law
itself, but by the demands and necessities of the present time and
occasion.” Arabella A. Mansfield was the first woman in the United
States to be granted a law license.”15
Sources:
10 One Iowa, “Iowa’s Noble Courage in Civil Rights,” 5 (2007).
11 Chronological history of Iowa.
12 Ibid.
13 “Iowa History Timeline,” Iowa Pathways.
14 Ibid.
15 One Iowa, “Iowa’s Noble Courage in Civil Rights,” 3 (2007).
1870 – The State University of Iowa opened a medical school that admitted both men and women.16
1871 – Amelia Jenks Bloomer Becomes First President of the Iowa Woman Suffrage Association.
“Amelia
Jenks Bloomer was a suffrage and temperance leader from Council Bluffs.
She was the first president of the Iowa Woman Suffrage Association,
fifty years before women gained the right to vote. She is most famous
for the short skirt and pantaloon costume which bears her name. Bloomer
is most importantly remembered for her role in promoting the cause of
women's voting rights in Iowa and for her newspaper publishing
experience in the temperance movement.”17
1873 – The Iowa Supreme Court rules on Coger v. Northwestern Union Packet Co.
“Emma
Coger, mixed-race woman was forcibly removed from a steamboat dining
cabin reserved for whites. In holding that Coger was entitled to the
same rights and privileges as white passengers, the Court invoked the
federal Civil Rights Act of 1866 and the Fourteenth Amendment, but
ultimately rested its conclusion on Article I, § 1 of the Iowa
Constitution. The Supreme Court proclaimed, “The principle of equality
is announced and secured by the very first words of our State
constitution which relate to the rights of the people, in language most
comprehensive, and incapable of misconstruction, namely: ‘All men are,
by nature, free and equal.’ ”18
1875 – Emma Haddock, of Iowa City, was admitted as the first woman to practice law before the United States federal courts.
“Three years later, the state Supreme Court appointed Haddock to examine law students for admission to the bar.”19
1876 – Jennie McCowen was one of the first women to graduate from the University of Iowa Medical Department.
“In
1884 she wrote, ‘In no state has it been more freely conceded that
human interests are not one but many, and that the work of the world,
broad and varied, must fall not upon one sex, nor upon one class, but
that each individual, in return for benefit received, is in honor bound
to bear his or her share of the burden.’ ”20
1879
– “Iowa General Assembly removed the words “white male” from the
statute governing qualifications to practice law. In contrast, in 1872,
the United States Supreme
Sources:
16 “Iowa History Timeline,” Iowa Pathways.
17 “Iowa History Timeline,” Iowa Pathways.
18 “Brief Amici Curiae,” 19 (2007).
19 Ibid., 12.
20 Ibid., 12.
Court declined to overturn the Illinois Supreme Court’s refusal to admit a woman to the practice of law in Illinois.”21
1900 – Carrie Chapman Catt was elected the first president of the National Woman Suffrage Association.
“Carrie
Clinton Lane Chapman Catt was the most famous woman suffrage leader in
history, holding her post as president of the National Woman Suffrage
Association for 28 years. Born in Wisconsin, she grew up near Charles
City, Iowa and graduated from Iowa State College. She taught school in
Mason City. Her long service as President of the National Woman
Suffrage Association was of record length, and after the Nineteenth
Amendment was ratified, she founded the League of Women Voters.”22
1905 – Beginning of the Niagra Movement.
“George
H. Woodson, an attorney from Buxton, Iowa, co-founded the Niagra
Movement. The association later became the National Association for the
Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).”23
1906 – Iowa Supreme Court rules on State v. Amana Society.
“The
Amana Society was a religious settlement whose members believed in the
communal ownership of property – a belief sharply at odds with
prevailing common-law views regarding property. Justice Ladd explained
that the purposes of the state’s corporate laws had to be balanced
against the Society members’ right to religious freedom.
‘Certain
it is that the status of the individual members [of the Amana Society]
is not in accordance with the prevailing American ideals… But in this
country all opinions are tolerated and the entire freedom of action
allowed, unless this interferes in some way with the rights of others.
Each individual must determine for himself what limit he shall place
upon his aspirations… Under the blessings of free government, every
citizen should be permitted to pursue that mode of life which is
dictated by his own conscience.’ ”24
1911 – John L. Lewis Organizes AFL.
“Iowa native John L. Lewis organized the American Federation of Labor (AFL), the largest labor federation in the world.”25
1915 – NAACP Organized in Iowa.
Sources:
21 One Iowa, 3.
22 “Iowa History Timeline,” Iowa Pathways.
23 Ibid.
24 “Brief Amici Curiae,” 10 (2007).
25 “Iowa History Timeline,” Iowa Pathways.
“The Iowa
chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored
People (NAACP) was organized in Des Moines. S. Joe Brown was the first
president.”26
1922 – Black Newspaper Expand.
“Black
businessman J.B. Morris bought The Iowa Bystander. With the help of the
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), his
wife and brother, Mr. Morris launched the Bystander statewide.”27
1922 – First Woman Elected to Statewide Office.
“When
May Francis was elected Iowa Superintendent of Public Instruction, she
became the first woman elected to a statewide office in Iowa.”28
1925 – National Bar Association.
“A
group of attorneys, including two Iowans—George H. Woodson and Samuel
Joe Brown—founded the National Bar Association. The NBA was the first
association of African American legal professionals.”29
1928 – First Woman Elected to the Iowa Legislature.
“Carolyn
Pendray was the first woman elected to either house of the Iowa
legislature. She was elected to the House in 1928 and the Senate in
1932.”30
1932 – First Woman Elected Iowa Secretary of State.
“Viola
(Ola) Babcock Miller was an early leader in the state for women's
suffrage. In 1932 she was elected as Iowa's first female secretary of
state. In 1935 she convinced the legislature that a statewide law
enforcement agency was needed, particularly to enforce highway safety
laws. The Iowa State Patrol was created in 1935 and placed under Viola
Babcock Miller's control. One of the first such agencies in the nation,
the Iowa State Patrol grew from a force of 50 patrol officers to 150
officers by 1938 under her leadership.”31
1934 – First Mosque in North America Constructed in Iowa.
“The first permanent mosque in North America was built in Cedar Rapids. It became known as ‘The Mother Mosque.’ ”32
Sources:
26 “Iowa History Timeline,” Iowa Pathways.
27 Iowa History Timeline,” Iowa Pathways.
28 Ibid.
29 Ibid.
30 Ibid.
31 Ibid.
32 Ibid.
1949 – The Iowa Supreme Court rules on State v. Katz.
“The
case involved two African-American Des Moines residents who had been
refused ice cream at a downtown soda fountain. The store manager
was tried and convicted under a state statute originally passed in the
late 1880s making it a crime to refuse service on the basis of race.
The Iowa Supreme Court affirmed this conviction.”33
1969 – The U.S. Supreme Court rules on Tinker v. Des Moines.
“Des
Moines high school students, John and Mary Beth Tinker, wore arm bands
to school to protest the Vietnam War. When school officials challenged
their right to do this, they appealed to the Supreme Court. The courts
ruled that the Tinkers' First Amendment rights had been violated.”34
1976
– “The Iowa Supreme Court held that the state’s sodomy law, as applied
to private consensual conduct of an opposite-sex couple, violated the
federal Constitution’s equal protection guarantee by criminalizing
conduct for unmarried persons that was not criminalized for married
couples. The sodomy law was repealed in its entirety in 1978. The Iowa
Court was ahead of the U.S. Supreme Court by 25 years. In 2003, the
Supreme Court finally struck down the 14 remaining state sodomy laws in
its ruling on Lawrence
v. Texas.”35
1980
– “The Iowa Supreme Court held that a child custody order could not be
modified merely because the custodial parent was in an interracial
relationship. This decision came four years before the U.S. Supreme
Court would reach the same conclusion on federal grounds. “Community
prejudice,” the Iowa Supreme Court declared, ‘cannot be permitted to
control the makeup of families.’ ”36
1986 – First Woman Appointed to Iowa Supreme Court.
“Justice Linda K. Neuman became the first woman appointed to serve on the Iowa Supreme Court.”37
1986 – First Woman Elected Iowa Lieutenant Governor.
“Lieutenant Governor Jo Ann Zimmerman was the first woman to hold this executive office in Iowa.”38
Sources:
33 “Brief Amici Curiae,” 20 (2007).
34 “Iowa History Timeline,” Iowa Pathways
35 “Brief Amici Curiae,” 23 (2007).
36 Ibid., 22.
37 “Iowa History Timeline,” Iowa Pathways.
38 Ibid.
1990 – First Woman Attorney General.
“Bonnie J. Campbell was the first woman to hold the office of Attorney General in Iowa.”39
1990 – Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 is Passed.
“Iowa Senator Tom Harkin was one of the authors of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990.”40
2007 – The Iowa District Court rules that it is unconstitutional to deny same-sex couples access to marriage.41
2008 – Oral arguments for the Varnum v. Brien marriage equality case are heard before the Iowa Supreme Court.42
Sources:
39 “Iowa History Timeline,” Iowa Pathways.
40 Ibid.
41 Varnum v. Brien, History, http://www.lambdalegal.org/our-work/in-court/cases/varnum.html.
42 Ibid.
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