Montana barreled into the 20th century by getting the rest of the country ready for changes to come.
First was women’s suffrage. Then, Montana citizens elected Jeannette Rankin to the U.S. House of Representatives. Rankin was the first woman ever to serve in Congress. Through the mid-1900s, copper mines drove our state’s economy. Then came oil. Both led to the growth of our cities and paved the way for Montana in the 21st century.
