biography
| name: |
Rankin, Jeannette
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née Pickering
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| sex:
| female
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| lived:
| (1880–1973)
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| biography:
| US representative, born in Missoula, Montana, USA. A graduate of the University of Montana (1902) and of the New York School for Social Work (1909), she fought for women's suffrage and helped obtain it in Montana (1914). Running on a platform that called for prohibition and ‘preparedness that will make for peace’ (1916), she was the first woman elected to the US House of Representatives (Republican, Montana, 1917–19) and became one of only 57 members to vote against US entry into World War 1. After losing a re-election bid, she devoted herself to pacifism and women's and children's causes. Serving again in the House (1941–3), she was the only member of Congress to vote (8 Dec 1941) against US entry into World War 2. She continued to lobby for peace in later years, particularly during the Korean and Vietnam Wars, and in 1967 a group of women formed the Jeannette Rankin Brigade to oppose the latter war. |
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