Omar Bennett
The Nineteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, passed on June 4, 1919, and ratified on August 18, 1920, granted women the right to vote. The road to women's suffrage was long and arduous, spanning decades and generations of activists who agitated, protested, lobbied, and practiced civil disobedience to achieve what many Americans considered a radical change to the Constitution. While the Nineteenth Amendment was a significant milestone, it did not guarantee universal suffrage for all women, as African American, Asian American, Hispanic American, and Native American women continued to face barriers to voting due to discriminatory state laws and racially discriminatory tactics of the Jim Crow era.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name of Amendment | 19th Amendment or Amendment XIX |
| Date of Proposal | June 4, 1919 |
| Date of Ratification | August 18, 1920 |
| Date of Adoption | August 26, 1920 |
| Eligible Voters | 26 million American women |
| Voter Turnout in 1920 | 36% of eligible women and 68% of men |
| Voting Rights Activists | Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Sojourner Truth, Lucretia Mott, Ida B. Wells, Sarah and Angelina Grimké, Alice Paul |
| Supporting Organisations | National Woman's Party, National Woman Suffrage Association (NWSA), American Woman Suffrage Association (AWSA), National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA), The League of Women Voters of the United States (LWV) |
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What You'll Learn
The 19th Amendment
The road to women's suffrage was long and arduous, marked by decades of agitation, protest, and activism. The movement began in the mid-19th century, with the Seneca Falls Convention in 1848 adopting the Declaration of Sentiments, which called for equality between the sexes and included a resolution urging women to secure the vote. Notable activists like Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton played a pivotal role in advocating for a constitutional amendment.
The first women's suffrage amendment was introduced in Congress in 1878, but it faced strong resistance and did not pass. In the following decades, women employed various strategies to achieve their goal, including lobbying, lecturing, writing, marching, and even civil disobedience. They faced fierce opposition, often facing jail time, physical abuse, and harsh criticism.
By 1916, the movement gained momentum, and the National Woman's Party was formed to push for a constitutional amendment. With increasing public pressure, Congress approved the 19th Amendment in 1919, and it was ratified by the required 36 states in 1920. The amendment was a significant milestone in the women's rights movement, enfranchising 26 million American women.
However, it is important to note that the 19th Amendment did not ensure full voting rights for all women. Despite the amendment, many women, especially African American, Asian American, Hispanic American, and Native American women, continued to face discrimination and voter suppression due to racially discriminatory laws and practices. It would take several more decades and legislative acts, such as the Voting Rights Act of 1965, to protect the voting rights of women from racial and ethnic minorities fully.
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Women's suffrage organisations
The 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, ratified in 1920, was the culmination of a long and arduous campaign by women's suffrage organisations and their supporters. The movement for women's suffrage in the United States began in the mid-19th century, with the Seneca Falls Convention in 1848 often regarded as the catalyst for the organised women's rights movement. This convention produced the Declaration of Sentiments, which advocated for equality between the sexes and included a resolution for women's suffrage.
The National Woman Suffrage Association (NWSA) and the American Woman Suffrage Association (AWSA) were two prominent organisations that emerged in the late 1860s, advocating for different strategies to achieve suffrage. NWSA, led by Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony, favoured a federal constitutional amendment, while AWSA, led by Lucy Stone, Henry Blackwell, and Julia Ward Howe, believed in a state-by-state approach. In 1871, NWSA sent a petition to Congress requesting suffrage rights for women, and the right for women to be heard on the floor of Congress. AWSA, on the other hand, petitioned in 1872 for women in DC and the territories to be granted the right to vote and hold office. These petitions, along with the efforts of other scattered women's rights organisations, laid the groundwork for the suffrage movement.
In 1890, the National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA) was formed through the merger of NWSA and AWSA. NAWSA combined the strategies of its predecessor organisations, employing well-orchestrated state campaigns under the leadership of Carrie Chapman Catt. This unified front proved successful in securing the passage of the 19th Amendment.
It is important to note that the suffrage movement faced strong opposition and resistance. Women suffragists faced heckling, jail time, and even physical abuse. Additionally, the 19th Amendment did not fully enfranchise all women, particularly women of colour, who continued to face barriers to voting due to discriminatory state laws and racially discriminatory tactics of the Jim Crow era. Nevertheless, the persistent efforts of women's suffrage organisations and their supporters over several generations led to a significant milestone in the fight for equality.
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State-by-state strategy
The 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which came into effect on August 18, 1920, granted women the right to vote. The road to achieving this milestone was long and challenging, requiring decades of agitation and protest by women's suffrage supporters.
The state-by-state strategy played a crucial role in the campaign for women's suffrage. The first women's suffrage amendment was introduced in Congress in 1878, but it did not gain traction until much later. In the intervening years, women organized, petitioned, and picketed to secure their right to vote. They employed a variety of tactics, including legal arguments, lecturing, writing, marching, lobbying, and even civil disobedience.
By the early 20th century, the focus shifted to passing suffrage acts in individual states. This strategy proved successful, with nine western states adopting women's suffrage legislation by 1912. Kansas, a pioneer in the movement, held the first-ever referendum for women's suffrage in 1867, despite the measure being defeated. In 1887, the town of Argonia, Kansas, elected the first female mayor.
The momentum continued to build, and by 1916, almost all major suffrage organizations united behind the goal of a constitutional amendment. The Senate passed the 19th Amendment by a narrow margin, and the focus shifted to rallying 36 states to ratify it. On June 16, 1919, several states, including Kansas, Ohio, and New York, called special sessions of their legislatures to vote in favor of the amendment.
The state-by-state strategy was instrumental in building momentum and support for women's suffrage, ultimately leading to the ratification of the 19th Amendment and the recognition of women's right to vote across the nation. However, it is important to note that even after the amendment, many women, especially women of color, continued to face barriers to voting due to discriminatory state voting laws and racially discriminatory tactics.
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The Anthony Amendment
The campaign for women's suffrage in the United States began in the mid-19th century, with the Seneca Falls Convention in 1848 adopting the Declaration of Sentiments, which called for equality between the sexes and included a resolution urging women to secure the vote. Early activists for women's suffrage included Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, who petitioned Congress and state legislatures and published feminist newspapers to advocate for their cause. Anthony, in particular, played a pivotal role in bringing the issue of women's suffrage to the forefront of American consciousness. On November 5, 1872, she and 14 other women voted in an election in Rochester, New York, an act that resulted in her trial for illegal voting. However, the trial also provided Anthony with a platform to broadcast her arguments for women's suffrage to a wider audience.
The first women's suffrage amendment was introduced in Congress in 1878, but it was not until May 21, 1919, that a suffrage amendment passed the House of Representatives, quickly followed by the Senate on June 4, 1919. The amendment was then submitted to the states for ratification, achieving the requisite 36 ratifications, including that of Tennessee, the final state, on August 18, 1920.
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Voting Rights Act of 1965
The right to vote was extended to white women in the United States in 1920, with the passing of the 19th Amendment. This amendment was the culmination of a decades-long movement for women's suffrage, which began in the mid-19th century. Women organised, petitioned, lobbied, picketed, and practiced civil disobedience to achieve what many Americans considered a radical change to the Constitution. The 19th Amendment reads:
> "The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex."
However, this amendment did not guarantee the right to vote for women of colour, who faced further barriers to voting due to racially discriminatory tactics. It wasn't until the Voting Rights Act of 1965 that the path to the voting booth was cleared for Black people in the United States. This Act was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson on August 6, 1965, during the height of the civil rights movement. It was designed to enforce the voting rights protected by the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments, which had been ratified 95 years earlier. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 prohibited racial discrimination in voting and outlawed discriminatory practices such as literacy tests, poll taxes, and other bureaucratic restrictions that had been used to deny African Americans the right to vote. The Act also required covered jurisdictions to obtain "preclearance" for any new voting practices and procedures, and it directed the Attorney General to challenge the use of poll taxes in state and local elections.
The Voting Rights Act had an immediate impact, with a quarter of a million new Black voters registered by the end of 1965. It was later readopted and strengthened in 1970, 1975, and 1982. The Act remains one of the hardest-fought safeguards for Black Americans and other minority groups as it relates to voting.
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Frequently asked questions
The Nineteenth Amendment (Amendment XIX) to the United States Constitution.
The Nineteenth Amendment was passed by Congress on June 4, 1919, and ratified on August 18, 1920.
The Nineteenth Amendment states: "The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex. Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation."
The Nineteenth Amendment enfranchised 26 million American women, granting them the right to vote in the 1920 U.S. presidential election. However, it did not fully enfranchise African American, Asian American, Hispanic American, and Native American women, who continued to face discrimination and voter suppression.
