Abigail Scott Duniway: Pioneer for Women's Rights

In 1852, seventeen-year-old Abigail Scott traveled west along the Oregon Trail behind a covered wagon. The long and difficult journey cost the lives of both her mother and her younger brother. After settling in Oregon, Abigail quickly learned how hard pioneer life could be. As she grew older, she noticed another problem. Under the law, women could not vote, hold public office, or keep the money they earned. Abigail believed these laws were unfair and decided to work for change.

In 1853, Abigail married Benjamin Duniway and helped run a family farm. Later, she opened a hat shop in Albany, Oregon. In her shop, she listened to farm women who had worked hard alongside their husbands. Many of these women were left without money or land if their husbands died or left them. To give women a voice, Abigail moved her family to Portland in 1871 and started a weekly newspaper called The New Northwest. She worked as the editor for twenty-six years, writing strong articles that argued for equal rights and women's suffrage, which means the right to vote.