Isabella Carter
The 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution, also known as Amendment XIX, was added on August 18, 1920, and prohibits the United States and its states from denying any citizen the right to vote based on sex, effectively guaranteeing women the right to vote. The road to the 19th Amendment was long and challenging, with women's suffrage supporters employing various strategies over several generations to achieve what many Americans considered a radical constitutional change. Despite the amendment's passage, the struggle for voting rights continued, particularly for women of colour, who faced discriminatory tactics and voter suppression.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name of the Amendment | 19th Amendment (Amendment XIX) |
| What it did | Prohibited the United States and its states from denying the right to vote to citizens of the United States on the basis of sex, in effect recognizing the right of women to vote |
| Date of proposal in Congress | 1878 |
| Date of approval by Congress | June 4, 1919 |
| Date of ratification | August 18, 1920 |
| Number of states that ratified the Amendment | 36 |
| Name of the 36th state to ratify the Amendment | Tennessee |
| Date of certification | August 26, 1920 |
Explore related products
What You'll Learn
The right to vote for women
The 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution, also known as Amendment XIX, prohibits the federal government and all states from denying any citizen the right to vote on the basis of sex, effectively guaranteeing women the right to vote. The amendment was first proposed in 1878, but it was not until over forty years later, on June 4, 1919, that Congress approved the amendment. It was then submitted to the states for ratification, requiring approval from 36 states (three-fourths of the states at the time) to be adopted as a constitutional amendment.
The campaign for women's suffrage was long and difficult, with several generations of supporters employing various tactics, including lecturing, writing, marching, lobbying, and civil disobedience, to achieve what many Americans considered a radical change to the Constitution. The women's rights movement began at the 1848 Seneca Falls Convention in New York and picked up during the Reconstruction Era following the Civil War. Women's rights leaders initially fought for the inclusion of universal suffrage as a civil right in the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments. However, when the Supreme Court rejected their arguments, the focus shifted to advocating for a new constitutional amendment.
By the late 19th century, new states and territories, particularly in the West, began to grant women the right to vote. In 1878, a suffrage proposal that would eventually become the 19th Amendment was introduced to Congress but was rejected in 1887. In the 1890s, suffrage organizations focused on a national amendment while continuing to work at the state and local levels. Notable activists during this period included Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Lucy Burns, and Alice Paul, whose different strategies helped advance the cause.
The women's suffrage amendment was reintroduced in the House of Representatives in 1918, where it passed by a two-thirds majority, largely due to the efforts of Carrie Chapman Catt, who revitalized the National Woman Suffrage Association, and the support of President Woodrow Wilson. The following year, on May 21, 1919, the House of Representatives passed the amendment, and two weeks later, on June 4, 1919, the Senate followed suit. The amendment then went through the process of ratification by the states, achieving the requisite 36 ratifications on August 18, 1920, when Tennessee became the final state to approve it. The 19th Amendment was certified by U.S. Secretary of State Bainbridge Colby on August 26, 1920, marking a pivotal moment in American history and changing the face of the American electorate forever.
The Constitution's Fiscal Amendments: What's Guaranteed?
You may want to see also
The long fight for women's suffrage
The 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution, which was passed on June 4, 1919, and ratified on August 18, 1920, was the culmination of a long and arduous struggle for women's suffrage. Beginning in the mid-19th century, several generations of women's suffrage supporters lectured, wrote, marched, lobbied, and practised civil disobedience to achieve what many Americans considered a radical change to the Constitution.
The women's rights movement began at the 1848 Seneca Falls Convention in New York, and the women's suffrage movement picked up during the Reconstruction Era after the Civil War. Women's rights leaders fought for the inclusion of universal suffrage as a civil right in the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments. In 1869, the National Woman Suffrage Association was founded by Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton. They brought the issue to federal court, arguing that the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments together guaranteed voting rights to women. However, the Supreme Court rejected their justification in Minor v. Happersett, spurring a shift towards advocating for a new constitutional amendment.
In 1878, a suffrage proposal that would eventually become the Nineteenth Amendment was introduced to Congress but was rejected in 1887. Despite this setback, suffrage organizations continued to work at the state and local levels, with new states and territories, particularly in the West, granting women the right to vote. By 1912, nine western states had adopted women's suffrage legislation. In 1916, most major suffrage organizations united behind the goal of a constitutional amendment, and in 1917, New York adopted women's suffrage.
The campaign for women's suffrage was not without its challenges and tensions, particularly over race. While Black suffragists played a pivotal role in the passage of the 19th Amendment, they remained without a practical right to vote following its adoption due to the discriminatory tactics of the Jim Crow era. Additionally, the introduction of the 15th Amendment, which theoretically enfranchised Black men but not women, led to the deterioration of interracial, mixed-gender coalitions. The National Woman Suffrage Association, founded by Anthony and Stanton, opposed the proposed 15th Amendment, arguing that Black men should not receive the vote before white women, creating tensions with notable Black leaders such as Frederick Douglass.
Despite these challenges, the women's suffrage movement persisted, and by 1918, President Woodrow 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. However, it fell short of passage in the Senate, prompting targeted campaigns against senators who voted against it. In the 1918 midterm elections, Democrats lost their majorities in both chambers of Congress due to their failure to pass the amendment.
Finally, on May 21, 1919, the House of Representatives passed the amendment, and two weeks later, the Senate followed suit. The amendment then went to the states for ratification, requiring the approval of 36 states (three-fourths of the states at the time) to be adopted as a Constitutional Amendment. This final hurdle was achieved when Tennessee became the 36th state to ratify the amendment on August 18, 1920, changing the face of the American electorate forever.
Amendments: The Foundation of Our Constitutional Rights
You may want to see also
The role of women's rights leaders
The 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution, passed on August 18, 1920, and signed into law on August 26, 1920, prohibits the United States and its states from denying any citizen the right to vote on the basis of sex. This amendment was the culmination of a decades-long movement for women's suffrage in the United States, which was part of a worldwide movement towards women's suffrage and a broader women's rights movement.
Some of the prominent women's rights leaders during this time included Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Lucy Burns, Alice Paul, Sojourner Truth, Lucretia Mott, Ida B. Wells, and Sarah and Angelina Grimké. Many of these women had been active in the suffrage movement since the 1860s and 1870s, and their persistence and dedication played a crucial role in the eventual passage of the amendment.
Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, for example, were activists who called for a new constitutional amendment guaranteeing women the right to vote. They also formed the National Woman Suffrage Association (NWSA), which argued for universal suffrage and opposed the 15th Amendment, which would have given Black men the right to vote before white women. Stanton became the president, and Anthony the vice president, of the National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA) in 1890, which was formed by the merger of the NWSA and the American Woman Suffrage Association (AWSA). Alice Paul and Lucy Burns, on the other hand, emerged as important leaders of the National Women's Party (NWP), which employed more attention-grabbing and militant tactics than the NAWSA. Their different strategies and relentless advocacy helped move the Nineteenth Amendment forward.
The women's suffrage movement experienced tensions and fractures, particularly over race and the introduction of the 15th Amendment. While Black suffragists played a pivotal role in the passage of the 19th Amendment, they were often excluded from leadership positions and their voices were limited or ignored. Despite these challenges, the women's rights leaders persisted, and their efforts ultimately led to the passage of the 19th Amendment, changing the face of the American electorate forever.
Amendments: The Evolution of Constitutional Rights
You may want to see also
Explore related products
The impact on women of colour
The 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution, passed on the 18th of August 1920, prohibits the United States and its states from denying any citizen the right to vote based on their sex. While this amendment was a significant step towards women's rights, it did not have the same impact on women of colour, who continued to face barriers to voting due to racial discrimination and exclusion.
The 19th Amendment was the culmination of decades of advocacy and protest by women, including women of colour, who played a significant role in the suffrage movement. Black women worked alongside white suffragists from the early years of the movement. However, as the movement progressed, it became divided over the issue of race, particularly following the Civil War. As a result, Black women formed their own organisations to secure and protect the rights of all women and men. Despite their efforts, the 19th Amendment did not guarantee the right to vote for all women of colour.
In the South, millions of women of colour were excluded from the voting process due to the racially discriminatory tactics of the Jim Crow era. Literacy tests, poll taxes, and other discriminatory state voting laws were used to prevent Black women and men from voting. These practices were also implemented in some other states, such as Connecticut, and were designed to specifically deny voting rights to Black people and immigrants. While the 19th Amendment enabled most white women to vote, it did not have the same impact on Black women in the South, whose votes continued to be suppressed based on their race.
Native American women also did not gain the right to vote with the 19th Amendment. It wasn't until the Snyder Act of 1924 that Native Americans, both men and women, were granted the right to vote. Even then, some Western states, including Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah, did not grant Native Americans the right to vote until much later, with some states waiting until the 1950s.
The impact of the 19th Amendment on women of colour highlights the ongoing struggle for political inclusion and the need for continued efforts to achieve equality for all, especially for marginalised groups. It is important to recognise that the expansion of voting rights did not occur uniformly and that the fight for suffrage was, and continues to be, a complex and ongoing battle.
The Constitution's Evolution: Amending America's Founding Document
You may want to see also
The post-1920 struggles
The 19th Amendment, passed on 18 August 1920, was a milestone in the history of women's suffrage in the United States. However, the post-1920 era continued to witness struggles and challenges in the quest for equal voting rights, particularly for minority women.
Despite the 19th Amendment's prohibition of denying citizens the right to vote based on sex, the reality for many women, especially African Americans and other minority women, fell short of this ideal. The racially discriminatory tactics of the Jim Crow era effectively excluded millions of women of colour in the South from exercising their voting rights. While Black women in some regions successfully registered and voted, their successes were few and far between, and they faced backlash in the form of fraud, intimidation, or violence.
The failure of white suffragists to address the disenfranchisement of Southern Black women had lasting repercussions. Organisations like the League of Women Voters and the National Woman's Party (NWP) turned away Black women seeking assistance, with NWP head Alice Paul declaring that Black women's disenfranchisement was a "race issue" outside the purview of the NWP. This division along racial lines weakened the potential for collective progress on shared concerns.
The impact of women's votes was also limited by the splintering of the coalition that had advocated for suffrage. The postwar political climate and competing political interests made it challenging for women's votes to exert a unified influence.
Furthermore, the 19th Amendment primarily benefited white women, who found new opportunities in government agencies, political parties, and elected offices. However, the intersecting inequalities of class, race, and ethnicity remained unresolved, and the amendment was only a step towards a more representative democracy.
While the 19th Amendment marked a significant victory for women's suffrage, the post-1920 struggles underscored the ongoing nature of the fight for equal voting rights and the need to address intersecting inequalities to achieve true democracy.
The First Amendment: Interest Groups' Safeguard
You may want to see also
Frequently asked questions
The 19th Amendment (Amendment XIX) to the United States Constitution prohibits the United States and its states from denying any citizen the right to vote on the basis of sex, effectively guaranteeing women the right to vote.
The 19th Amendment was the culmination of a decades-long movement for women's suffrage in the United States, and it changed the face of the American electorate forever. However, it is important to note that the struggle for voting rights continued for African Americans and other minority women due to racially discriminatory tactics and voter suppression.
The 19th Amendment was first introduced in Congress in 1878 but was rejected in 1887. It was reintroduced and passed by Congress on June 4, 1919, and ratified on August 18, 1920, when Tennessee became the 36th state to approve it.
Notable activists in the women's suffrage movement include Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Lucy Burns, Alice Paul, Carrie Chapman Catt, and Harry Burn, whose tie-breaking vote in Tennessee ultimately secured the passage of the 19th Amendment.
An annual celebration of the passage of the 19th Amendment, known as Women's Equality Day, takes place on August 26th. The amendment has also been featured in songs, films, and television programs, such as the 1995 PBS documentary "One Woman, One Vote."
