Hi Laura, You present some very interesting issues and it is true that women could vote even way back in the nineteenth century in regional or local elections. Believe it or not, women voted in Mainesburg in the nineteenth century. In many of the new states or land holdings, women voted and both owned and controlled property, example: Kansas. you are correct that the laws concerning women varied in time and place and can't really be treated in a broad brush stroke. Once again,. this is well documented and many resources exist on the subject. Access a variety of Women's Histories Sites through the Womens page of <A HREF="http://www.rootsweb.com/~srgp/jmtindex.htm">Tri-County Genealogy Site of Joyce M. Tice</A> Joyce M. Tice <A HREF="http://www.rootsweb.com/~srgp/jmtindex.htm">Tri-County Genealogy Site of Joyce M. Tice</A>