Women and the Vote

In commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment

Passed by Congress June 4, 1919. Ratified August 18, 1920.

What’s the issue?

The 19th Amendment was presented in Congress for 41 years in a row before it was passed.

From the initial proposal to the final ratification that declared the 19th Amendment part of the law of the land, women in the United States were not allowed to vote.

After the 19th Amendment was ratified, more than eight million women voted in the 1920 elections for the first time.

BUT...there is much more to the story

What's that?

Not all women were able to vote in 1920. The movement had mostly focused on securing and protecting constitutional voting rights for white women.

Black women couldn’t vote until Congress passed the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Native American women and Asian women were only granted citizenship much later so they were not able to vote in 1920.

Then, what's the purpose of commemorating this 100th anniversary since only some women gained voting rights in the United States?

Many are celebrating this landmark with the awareness of history in mind - of the stories that get told and those that don't.

In addition to the achievement of those women who spent years and decades fighting and protesting peacefully to gain the suffrage and did vote in 1920, focus is being put to those lesser-known narratives. Narratives that include, for example, about the contributions of Black women and men to voting rights, both past and present. Find more information at The 19th Amendment: 100 Years.

Continue reading to learn more ...

To explore the Online Exhibit on Women's Suffrage at the National Archives Museum

CLICK on the Rightfully Hers Project