Wedged between Montana and Colorado, with its rectilinear borders which give the territory the shape of a rectangle, Wyoming has advanced women’s rights throughout its history.
What does the state flag and nickname mean
The motto “The Equality State” which means “The State of Equality”, is affixed to the seal which represents Wyoming. This state is pioneer in the field of gender equality. The first to authorize the right to vote for women, it was also the first state to see a woman elected governor. Wyoming initially granted women the right to vote in order to qualify as a state. Federal laws at the time required a certain number of electors to be considered one and Wyoming did not have the necessary population. This is why on December 10, 1869, women in this state were able to vote. The United States enshrined women’s right to vote in the constitution in 1920. Invited to join the Union of States, Wyoming must remove this right to do so. The leaders of the time responded “we would rather remain independent for another 100 years than be part of the Union without women”. Following this, Wyoming became the 44th in 1890.e state of the United States while retaining women’s right to vote.
The name Wyoming comes from a Native American dialect called Algonquin and means “place of great prairie”. A large area of the territory is part of the Great Plains. It includes within it the majority of the Yellowstone Park where is located the largest concentration of bison in the United States.
This is why on the state flag we find this animal typical of the American continent. Against a blue, white and red background representing the flag of the United States, the bison stands at its center and is stamped with the state seal.
On the seal there are 5 symbols commemorating the history of the region.
- The dates 1869 And 1890 represent the organization of the territorial state of Wyoming and its admission into the Union
- A statue and the equal rights banner, which reminds us that women have always had the right to vote.
- Two men symbolize agriculture and industry.
- Burning lamps above the columns, which represent the Light of Knowledge.
- A banner that indicates the four most important industries in Wyoming, namely: livestock, grains, mining and oil.
Key dates in Wyoming history
1868 : Creation of the territory of Wyoming and its borders which remain unchanged today.
1869 : Adoption of women’s right to vote, it is the first American state to do so.
1872 : creation of Yellowstone National Park, the first national park in the world.
1890 : Wyoming joins the Union and becomes the 44the United States State.
1925 : Neillie Tayloe Ross becomes the first American female governor.
Area, capital, wealth…: the main components of the State
Wyoming is also sometimes nicknamed “The Big Empty” or “Le Grand Vide” in French. Due to its low population rate, the smallest of the 50 states, only 584,000 people live in Wyoming. Despite its surface area of 253,338 km², which is almost the same as New Zealand, Wyoming has only 2.3 inhabitants per km². It is the tenth largest territory in the United States by area.
The capital is Cheyenne, it is located where the first Americans set up camp to work in 1867 for the Union Pacific Road railway company. The name Cheyenne means “foreigners” in Dakota, a Sioux dialect. Today, the city has only 65,000 inhabitants.
Wyoming is ranked 49e over 50 states with its GDP of $39 billion. The most important industries are: tourism, mining and livestock.
Democrats or Republicans: who votes and why?
Wyoming is one of the Republican strongholds. Democrats have only won twice in the state, in 1948 and 1964 with Harry Truman and Lyndon B. Johnson. It is also the Senate and the Parliament which are represented by the Republicans since 1938 and 1968.
Record-breaking elections were won in Wyoming. In 2016, Donald Trump won in this state with 46% of the vote, the best score in the entire country. Democrats post worst performance in historyHillary Clinton collects only 21%.
This trend can be explained by the history of the region. Wyoming residents are skeptical of Democratic politics. The “Far West” culture and the great outdoors were able to develop individualism in this region.. A distrust has arisen between the population and the government. Democrats are fighting for a greater government presence in American institutions, a proposal that Wyoming rejects.
How many electors?
Wyoming is the least populated state in the country along with Alaska, North and South Dakota, Delaware, Montana and Vermont. Due to this small population, these states only have 3 major voters. This is the lowest rate in the territory, which does not rank Wyoming among the must-win states during elections.
