Isabella Carter
The Nineteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, passed in 1920, guarantees women equal voting rights. The amendment was the culmination of a long and difficult campaign by women's suffrage supporters, which began in the mid-19th century. Despite facing obstacles such as apathy among women and resistance from lawmakers, suffragists lectured, wrote, marched, lobbied, and practiced civil disobedience to achieve what many Americans considered a radical change to the Constitution. The Nineteenth Amendment enfranchised 26 million American women, but it did not fully eradicate the systemic racism that pervaded the South, and the fight for voting rights for African American, Asian American, Hispanic American, and Native American women continued for several more decades.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name of Amendment | 19th Amendment |
| Year of Ratification | 1920 |
| Number of States Required for Ratification | 36 |
| Last State to Ratify | Tennessee |
| Date of Last State Ratification | August 18, 1920 |
| Date of Secretary of State Certification | August 26, 1920 |
| Number of American Women Enfranchised | 26 million |
| Organizations Supporting Women's Suffrage | National American Woman Suffrage Association, National Woman Suffrage Association, American Woman Suffrage Association, Congressional Union for Woman Suffrage, Women's Party, National Woman's Party |
| Notable Activists | Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Alice Paul, Emma Smith DeVoe, Carrie Chapman Catt |
| Amendment Text | "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." |
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What You'll Learn
The Nineteenth Amendment
The road to achieving women's suffrage in the United States was long and arduous. The earliest efforts to secure voting rights for women were closely linked to the fight to end slavery. However, in the post-Civil War era, also known as Reconstruction, the movement faced challenges due to racial tensions. While some suffragists supported a constitutional amendment granting Black men the right to vote, even if it preceded the extension of voting rights to women, others rejected the idea of women being left behind. This disagreement led to the creation of two major organizations in 1869: The National Woman Suffrage Association (NWSA) and The American Woman Suffrage Association (AWSA).
The NWSA, founded by Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony, advocated for universal suffrage and opposed the proposed 15th Amendment, which granted Black men the right to vote before white women. The AWSA, led by Julia Ward Howe, Lucy Stone, and Henry Brown Blackwell, supported the 15th Amendment and gained popularity by focusing exclusively on suffrage. Despite these efforts, no state granted women suffrage between 1896 and 1910, and the movement shifted its focus to pursuing a national constitutional amendment.
In the early 20th century, the momentum for women's suffrage gained renewed vigour, with more states extending voting rights to women. By 1916, most major suffrage organizations united behind the goal of a constitutional amendment. The House of Representatives passed the amendment in May 1919, followed by the Senate a few months later. Tennessee became the 36th state to ratify the amendment on August 18, 1920, marking the final hurdle of obtaining the agreement of three-fourths of the states.
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The women's suffrage movement
In the mid-19th century, women's rights organizations became more active, and in 1848, the Seneca Falls Convention adopted the Declaration of Sentiments, calling for equality between the sexes and urging women to secure the vote. Notable figures in the movement included Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Frederick Douglass, a former slave and leader of the abolition movement. Douglass attended the Seneca Falls Convention and later published an editorial in his newspaper, The North Star, advocating for women's political rights.
In 1869, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony formed the National Woman Suffrage Association (NWSA) to oppose the 15th Amendment, which granted Black men the right to vote but excluded women. The NWSA petitioned Congress and protested the amendment, demanding suffrage rights for women. Around the same time, another group, the American Woman Suffrage Association (AWSA), supported the 15th Amendment. These two groups later merged to form the National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA).
In the early 20th century, suffragists staged large parades and demonstrations to draw attention to their cause. One notable march took place in Washington, DC, in 1913, with over 5,000 suffragists participating. During World War I, suffragists employed more militant tactics, such as picketing the White House and embarrassing President Woodrow Wilson into supporting a federal woman suffrage amendment. Alice Paul, frustrated with the NAWSA's leadership, formed the National Woman's Party (NWP), which organized the first White House picket in 1917, with silent sentinels standing vigil for nearly three years. Many were arrested and jailed, and some went on hunger strikes to protest their treatment.
In 1920, the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified, guaranteeing women's right to vote: "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." This amendment enfranchised 26 million American women, but it did not ensure full enfranchisement for African American, Asian American, Hispanic American, and Native American women. The struggle for universal suffrage continued, with women of color often seeking the vote as a means of racial uplift and change in the post-Reconstruction era.
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The role of President Wilson
The 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, passed in 1919 and ratified in 1920, guarantees women equal voting rights. The road to achieving this milestone was long and challenging, requiring decades of agitation and protest by women's suffrage supporters.
President Woodrow Wilson played a significant role in the passage of the 19th Amendment. Initially, Wilson did not support women's suffrage, but his position evolved over time. By 1918, with 15 states having already extended equal voting rights to women, Wilson announced his support for a constitutional amendment during his State of the Union address. This shift in his stance was influenced by the lobbying efforts of suffragists like Carrie Chapman Catt, who employed savvy political strategies, and Alice Paul, who generated public pressure through her campaigns.
Wilson's support was crucial as it helped shift the political balance in favour of the amendment. In his address, he tied women's right to vote directly to the ongoing war, making an appeal on the Senate floor, which was an unprecedented move at the time. He asked, "Shall we admit them only to a partnership of suffering and sacrifice and toil and not to a partnership of privilege and right?"
However, the path to achieving the amendment was not without obstacles. In September 1918, a proposal for the amendment fell two votes short of passage in the Senate. This setback prompted the National Woman's Party, led by Alice Paul, to direct their campaigning efforts against senators who had voted against the amendment. Despite this challenge, Wilson's support and the work of suffragists paved the way for the amendment to pass in the House of Representatives on May 21, 1919, and in the Senate two weeks later.
In conclusion, President Wilson's eventual support for women's suffrage, influenced by the tireless efforts of suffragists, was a pivotal factor in the passage of the 19th Amendment. While there were setbacks along the way, the amendment ultimately succeeded in granting 26 million American women the right to vote, marking a significant step towards equality in the United States.
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The legacy of racism
The 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, passed in 1920, guarantees women equal voting rights. The road to achieving this milestone was long and difficult, requiring decades of agitation and protest by women's suffrage supporters. While the amendment was a significant step towards gender equality, it did not ensure full enfranchisement for all women, as the legacy of racism in the United States continued to disenfranchise African American, Asian American, Hispanic American, and Native American women.
The fight for women's suffrage in the United States was deeply intertwined with the movement to abolish slavery. Many early suffragists, such as Sojourner Truth, Lucretia Mott, Ida B. Wells, Sarah and Angelina Grimké, Frances Ellen Watkins Harper, and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, recognized the intersection of race and voting rights. They advocated for universal suffrage, believing that the two issues of abolition and women's rights were linked.
However, as the women's suffrage movement gained momentum in the nineteenth century, it became increasingly divided along racial lines. The passage of the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments prioritized the voting rights of black men over universal suffrage for all men and women. This division was further exacerbated by the prevalence of racial segregation and the adoption of a states' rights platform by the National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA) in 1903, which was intended to appeal to Southern suffrage groups.
The invisibility of African American women during this period was a result of the dual hurdles of gender and race that they faced. While white women sought the vote to gain an equal voice in politics, African American women often saw the vote as a means of racial uplift and a way to effect change in the post-Reconstruction era. Despite these efforts, thousands of African American women continued to face barriers to voting due to racism and discrimination.
Even after the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment, African American, Asian American, Hispanic American, and Native American women remained disenfranchised due to new restrictions and hurdles imposed on voting that disproportionately impacted communities of color. It was not until 1975, with the extension of the Voting Rights Act and the addition of Section 203, that voting and election materials were required to be provided in multiple languages, finally enabling non-English speakers to fully exercise their right to vote.
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The Susan B. Anthony Amendment
Despite the efforts of suffragists, the road to achieving the Susan B. Anthony Amendment was challenging and faced several setbacks. In 1869, the National Woman Suffrage Association (NWSA) and the American Woman Suffrage Association (AWSA) were formed, advocating for universal suffrage and equal voting rights for women and racial minorities. However, tensions arose as some suffragists supported the passage of the 15th Amendment, which granted Black men the right to vote, even if it meant achieving women's suffrage later.
It wasn't until the early 20th century that the women's suffrage movement gained renewed momentum, with more states extending voting rights to women. In 1916, the National Women's Party (NWP) was formed, and by 1918, President Wilson announced his support for a constitutional amendment during his State of the Union address. The amendment was reintroduced in the House of Representatives and passed by a two-thirds majority in January 1918. However, it initially failed to pass in the Senate by two votes.
Finally, on May 21, 1919, the House of Representatives passed the amendment, and two weeks later, the Senate followed suit. On August 18, 1920, Tennessee became the 36th state to ratify the amendment, and it was officially certified by Secretary of State Bainbridge Colby on August 26, 1920. The 19th Amendment enfranchised 26 million American women, allowing them to participate in the 1920 U.S. presidential election.
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Frequently asked questions
The Nineteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
The amendment was passed by Congress on June 4, 1919, and ratified on August 18, 1920.
The amendment states that "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."
The Nineteenth Amendment enfranchised 26 million American women, granting them the right to vote. However, it did not fully eradicate racial disparities in voting rights, and many women of colour continued to face barriers to voting due to systemic racism.
The campaign for women's suffrage was long and challenging. It involved grassroots efforts, lobbying, protests, and civil disobedience. Notable activists include Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Alice Paul, and Carrie Chapman Catt. The National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA) and the National Woman's Party (NWP) also played significant roles in advocating for the amendment.
