On February 14, 1870, after the Utah Territory extended voting rights to women, Ford became the first female to cast a ballot in an American election.
Ford was buried at Arlington National Cemetery, and for years, the name on her headstone remained spelled incorrectly. Working with Arlington National Cemetery officials, the Trump Administration corrected her headstone this year—coinciding with the 100th anniversary of the Nineteenth Amendment, which guaranteed women’s suffrage.
“The determination and spirit of the leaders of the women’s suffrage movement continues to inspire the fight for greater rights for all,” O’Brien’s statement reads.
