FIRST - Woman to Vote in Tennessee - Camden, TN
Posted by: 
YoSam.
N 36° 03.483 W 088° 05.815
16S E 401207 N 3990943
First woman to cast a vote in Tennessee
Waymark Code: WMX6A9
Location: Tennessee, United States
Date Posted: 12/03/2017
Views: 2
County of Marker: Benton County
Location of Marker: Main St. & Forrest Ave., courthouse lawn, Camden
Marker erected by: Tennessee Historical Commission
Marker Text:
MARY CORDELIA
BEASLEY~HUDSON
Mary Cordelia Beasley~Hudson, a life~long resident of Benton County, was an advocate for women's suffrage. The Tennessee General Assembly approved an amendment to the state constitution to allow women's suffrage on April 15, 1919. Seven days later Beasley~Hudson was the
first female in the state to cast a ballot when voting in the Camden municipal election. In 1920 the nation ratified the 19th Amendment to the U. S. Constitution giving women the right to vote. One month before the 1920 presidential election Beasley~Hudson died; her remains interred in Camden City Cemetery. On March 5, 2008, the Tennessee General Assembly recognized her with a proclamation.
"Mary was the first woman to legally vote in Tennessee. Mary was born in Benton, Co. TN on August 1, 1851. She was the daughter of Reuben Beasley and Elizabeth Brown. On January 9, 1872, she married O. B. C. Hudson in Benton County. She and her husband had six children and operated a grocery store near their home in Camden, TN. On April 5, 1919, the Tennessee General Assembly passed a limited suffrage act. Governor Albert H. Roberts signed the suffrage bill into law on April 17, 1919. A few days following this, on Tuesday, April 22, a municipal election was held in Camden. Mrs. Hudson, who had joined the suffrage movement in 1918, cast her vote and was quick to point out that she voted for the winner of the election, A. V. Bowls. I have not been able to find out much more than this but I will continue to research."
~ Her Stories From the Past
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