Women's Suffrage

The ratification of the 19th Amendment gave women the right to vote. But giving women the legal right to vote wasn't automatic entrance into the voting booth for women who weren't white. Women - and men - of color faced many institutional barriers to actually exercising that right to vote, including poll taxes and literacy tests. Native Americans weren't granted voting rights until 1924 and those in power did everything they could to keep their votes from being cast, too. Here are some resources about the suffragist movement in America and the women of all races who fought to have a say in their country.

- SLJ February 2020

Websites:

• Library of Congress - Women's Suffrage: offers a teaching guide, history, and resources.

• 2020 Women's Vote Centennial Initiative: shares programs, projects, and activities for the anniversary and has curated information from various organizations and institutions.

• Crusade for the Vote, National Women's History Museum (NWHM): includes history, educational resources, and primary sources. The NWHM also offers two electronic field trips on the subject.

• Turning Point Suffragist Memorial: is a nonprofit organization dedicated to getting a memorial for suffragists. The site spotlights African American and Jewish suffragists.

• The 19th Amendment and the Women's Suffrage Movement: includes a brief overview of the 19th Amendment and a list of resources related to the Women's Suffrage Movement.

Books:

• Vote!: Women's Fight for Access to the Ballot Box by Coral Celeste Frazer.

Articles:

• "African American Women and the Nineteenth Amendment" by Sharon Harley. National Park Service.

• "How Black Suffragists Fought for the Right to Vote and a Modicum of Respect" by Martha S. Jones, National Endowment for the Humanities.