Jonah Patel
The 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which granted women the right to vote, was passed by Congress on June 4, 1919, and ratified on August 18, 1920. The amendment was the culmination of a decades-long movement for women's suffrage in the United States, with activists like Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton calling for a constitutional amendment guaranteeing women the same right to vote as men. The campaign for women's suffrage was long and difficult, with many generations of women lecturing, writing, marching, lobbying, and practicing civil disobedience to achieve what many Americans considered a radical change to the Constitution.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date | August 18, 1920 |
| Amendment Number | 19th Amendment |
| Purpose | Women's Suffrage |
| Ratification | Certified by Secretary of State Bainbridge Colby on August 26, 1920 |
| Impact | Guaranteed women the right to vote in the United States |
Explore related products
What You'll Learn
The 19th Amendment was ratified on August 18, 1920
The 19th Amendment, which granted women the right to vote, was ratified on August 18, 1920. This was the culmination of a long and difficult campaign by generations of activists and supporters of the women's suffrage movement, which began in the mid-19th century.
The campaign for women's suffrage was complex and interwoven with issues of civil and political rights for all Americans. The movement was active at both the state and national levels and was part of a worldwide push towards women's suffrage and a broader women's rights movement. The first women's suffrage amendment was introduced in Congress in 1878 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. The campaign gained momentum in 1916 when almost all major suffrage organizations united behind the goal of a constitutional amendment. New York's adoption of women's suffrage in 1917 and President Wilson's support for an amendment in 1918 further shifted the political balance. On May 21, 1919, the House of Representatives passed the amendment, and two weeks later, on June 4, 1919, the Senate followed.
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. U.S. Secretary of State Bainbridge Colby certified the ratification on August 26, 1920, officially granting women the constitutional right to vote. This historic achievement ensured that American women could exercise their sacred right to the elective franchise, changing the face of the American electorate forever.
Amendments: States' Ratification Power and the Constitution
You may want to see also
The Amendment's adoption was certified on August 26, 1920
The 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution, which granted women the right to vote, was first proposed in Congress in 1878. However, it was not until 1919 that the amendment passed the House and Senate. The 19th Amendment was then submitted to the states for ratification, requiring the agreement of three-fourths of the states (36 states in total at the time). On August 18, 1920, Tennessee became the 36th state to ratify the amendment, marking a pivotal moment in the decades-long women's suffrage movement.
The adoption of the 19th Amendment was officially certified on August 26, 1920, by U.S. Secretary of State Bainbridge Colby. This certification changed the face of the American electorate forever, as women across the country gained the constitutional right to vote. The certification was the culmination of tireless efforts and sacrifices made by countless activists and suffragists, including prominent figures such as Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Alice Paul, and Lucy Burns. These individuals and their supporters lectured, wrote, marched, lobbied, and practised civil disobedience to achieve what many Americans considered a radical change to the Constitution.
The road to achieving women's suffrage in the United States was long and challenging, marked by setbacks and victories. The movement faced complex issues, including the intersection of women's rights with civil and political rights for all Americans. Despite the passage of the 19th Amendment, the struggle for full and equal voting rights continued, especially for women of colour. Racially discriminatory tactics of the Jim Crow era excluded millions of minority women, particularly in the South, from exercising their newly granted voting rights.
The centennial of the 19th Amendment's ratification in 2020 was marked by various organizations hosting large events and exhibits to commemorate this significant milestone in American history. On this anniversary, President Donald Trump posthumously pardoned Susan B. Anthony, recognizing her pivotal role in the women's suffrage movement.
The 19th Amendment has had a lasting impact on American democracy, empowering women and serving as a testament to the power of activism and perseverance in the pursuit of equal rights. The amendment's adoption and certification represent a pivotal moment in history, reflecting the ideals of equality and democratic participation for women in the United States.
Amending the Constitution: A Deliberate Process
You may want to see also
The women's suffrage movement
In the post-war period, the 14th and 15th Amendments to the Constitution raised questions of suffrage and citizenship. The 14th Amendment, ratified in 1868, extended constitutional protections to all citizens, but defined "citizens" as "male". The 15th Amendment, ratified in 1870, guaranteed Black men the right to vote. Some women's suffrage advocates saw this as an opportunity to push for universal suffrage, refusing to support the 15th Amendment as it excluded women. This disagreement over strategy caused a "schism" in the movement, leading to the formation of two new suffrage organizations with different approaches. The National Woman Suffrage Association (NWSA) was formed by Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony in 1869, and they opposed the 15th Amendment.
In 1878, a suffrage proposal that would eventually become the 19th Amendment was introduced to Congress but was rejected in 1887. By the 1890s, suffrage organizations focused on a national amendment while continuing to work at the state and local levels. In 1893, New Zealand became the first country to grant women the right to vote in national elections, followed by Australia in 1902, Finland in 1906, and Norway in 1913.
In the second decade of the 20th century, suffragists in the US began staging large and dramatic parades to draw attention to their cause. One notable demonstration was a march in Washington, DC, on March 3, 1913, which included over 5,000 suffragists. During World War I, suffragists tried to pressure President Woodrow Wilson, who initially opposed suffrage at the national level, into supporting a federal woman suffrage amendment. Alice Paul, frustrated with the NAWSA's leadership, formed the more militant National Woman's Party (NWP), which organized the first White House picket in US history on January 10, 1917.
Finally, on June 4, 1919, Congress passed the proposal for the 19th Amendment, and on August 18, 1920, Tennessee became the 36th state to ratify the amendment, ensuring its adoption. The 19th Amendment was certified on August 26, 1920, and it legally guaranteed American women the right to vote. This victory was the culmination of decades of agitation, protest, lecturing, writing, lobbying, and civil disobedience by several generations of women suffrage supporters.
Amending the Constitution: When and How?
You may want to see also
Explore related products
The Amendment faced opposition
The 19th Amendment, which granted women the right to vote, was passed by Congress on June 4, 1919, and ratified on August 18, 1920. The road to achieving this milestone was long and challenging, marked by opposition and requiring decades of agitation and protest.
Opposition to the 19th Amendment was widespread, with anti-suffrage views dominating among both men and women in the early 20th century. Opponents of women's suffrage, or anti-suffragists, employed various tactics to voice their disapproval. Political cartoons mocking suffragists were created, and articles attacked women who participated in public life. Religious leaders also spoke out against women's political activism from the pulpit. Despite the lack of a formal institution, opposition to suffrage remained popular, with local organizing taking place as early as the 1860s. Massachusetts, a state with leading suffrage advocates, was also one of the first to establish an organized anti-suffrage group.
In the 1880s, anti-suffrage activists in Massachusetts consolidated into the Massachusetts Association Opposed to the Further Extension of Suffrage to Women. It wasn't until 1911 that anti-suffragists formed their own national organization, the National Association Opposed to Woman Suffrage (NAOWS), founded by Josephine Dodge. This group distributed pamphlets outlining their arguments against women's suffrage, such as the belief that voting would mean "competition" with men instead of "cooperation."
The women's suffrage movement itself was not without internal fractures. When the proposed Fifteenth Amendment sought to enfranchise Black males, white women suffragists protested, creating a divide within the movement. This division was further exacerbated by the exclusion of women of colour from the "mainstream" white feminist movement. Black women faced a dual struggle against both racism and sexism, and while the 19th Amendment technically enfranchised Black women, they were effectively stripped of their voting rights in the South less than a decade later.
Missouri's Constitutional Amendments: When Do They Get a Vote?
You may want to see also
The Amendment's centennial
The 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which granted women the right to vote, was passed by Congress on June 4, 1919, and ratified on August 18, 1920. The road to achieving this milestone was long and arduous, requiring decades of agitation and protest by women's suffrage supporters. The campaign for women's suffrage was complex and interwoven with issues of civil and political rights for all Americans.
The first women's suffrage amendment was introduced in Congress in 1878 but was rejected in 1887. In the 1890s, suffrage organisations focused on a national amendment while continuing to work at the state and local levels. By 1916, almost all major suffrage organisations were united behind the goal of a constitutional amendment. The shift towards supporting women's suffrage gained momentum when New York adopted women's suffrage in 1917, and President Wilson announced his support for an amendment in 1918.
On May 21, 1919, the House of Representatives passed the amendment, and two weeks later, on June 4, the Senate followed suit. The amendment then needed to be ratified by three-fourths of the states (36 states at the time) to become law. This final hurdle was overcome when Tennessee became the 36th state to ratify the amendment on August 18, 1920. U.S. Secretary of State Bainbridge Colby certified the ratification on August 26, 1920, marking the official adoption of the 19th Amendment and changing the face of the American electorate forever.
The centennial of the 19th Amendment in 2020 was marked by several large events and exhibits hosted by organisations such as the National Constitution Center and the National Archives and Records Administration. On the 100th anniversary of the ratification, President Donald Trump posthumously pardoned suffragist Susan B. Anthony. The centennial also saw the release of an album called "27: The Most Perfect Album," featuring songs inspired by the 27 amendments to the U.S. Constitution, including Dolly Parton's song "A Woman's Right," inspired by the 19th Amendment.
Interpreting Constitutional Amendments: Understanding the Blank Space
You may want to see also
Frequently asked questions
The 19th Amendment was passed by Congress on June 4, 1919, and ratified on August 18, 1920.
The 19th Amendment granted women the right to vote and legally guarantees American women the right to vote.
The 19th Amendment was the result of a decades-long movement for women's suffrage in the United States. The first women's suffrage amendment was introduced in Congress in 1878 but was rejected in 1887. The amendment did not pass the House and Senate until 1919, and it took another fifteen months for it to be ratified by thirty-six states and become law in 1920.
The 19th Amendment's centennial in 2020 saw various organizations announce large events or exhibits, including the National Constitution Center and National Archives and Records Administration. On the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment, President Donald Trump posthumously pardoned Susan B. Anthony.
