Isabella Carter
The 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution, which guarantees women the right to vote, was added and adopted into law on August 26, 1920. The amendment was the culmination of a decades-long movement for women's suffrage in the United States, with roots in the mid-19th century abolitionist and temperance movements. The campaign for women's suffrage was long and difficult, with suffragists employing a variety of tactics, including legal arguments based on existing amendments, marches, and acts of civil disobedience. The amendment was first introduced in Congress in 1878 but was rejected in 1887. It finally passed both the House and the Senate in 1919 and was ratified on August 18, 1920, when Tennessee became the 36th state to ratify it.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name of Amendment | 19th Amendment or Amendment XIX |
| Date of Proposal in Congress | 1878 |
| Date Approved by Congress | June 4, 1919 |
| Date Passed by House of Representatives | May 21, 1919 |
| Date Passed by Senate | June 4, 1919 |
| Date of Ratification | August 18, 1920 |
| Date Certified by Secretary of State Bainbridge Colby | August 26, 1920 |
| Date Adopted into the U.S. Constitution | August 26, 1920 |
| Annual Celebration | Women's Equality Day |
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What You'll Learn
The 19th Amendment was added to the US Constitution on 26 August 1920
The 19th Amendment to the US Constitution was added on 26 August 1920, following a protracted and challenging campaign for women's suffrage. The amendment was the culmination of a decades-long movement for women's right to vote in the United States, at both the state and national levels, and was part of a broader global push for women's suffrage and women's rights.
The roots of the women's suffrage movement can be traced back to the mid-19th century, with the founding of the National Woman Suffrage Association in 1869 by Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton. The first women's suffrage amendment was introduced in Congress in 1878, but it was not until 1919 that an amendment passed through both 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 at the time).
Tennessee became the 36th state to ratify the amendment on 18 August 1920, marking a significant milestone in the campaign. However, it was not formally certified and adopted into the US Constitution until Secretary of State Bainbridge Colby signed it into law on 26 August 1920. This date, therefore, holds symbolic significance in the history of women's suffrage in the United States.
The 19th Amendment guarantees 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". Despite the passage of the amendment, it is important to note that women of colour and minority women continued to face barriers to voting due to poll taxes, local laws, and other restrictions for several decades.
The addition of the 19th Amendment to the US Constitution is commemorated annually on 26 August, known as Women's Equality Day. This day serves as a reminder of the long struggle for women's suffrage and the ongoing journey towards full equality and representation for women in American democracy.
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The Amendment guarantees women the right to vote
The 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution, which guarantees women the right to vote, was added in 1920. The amendment was first introduced in Congress in 1878, but it did not pass the House and Senate until 1919. It was then ratified on August 18, 1920, when Tennessee became the 36th state to ratify it. The 19th Amendment was the culmination of a long and difficult campaign for women's suffrage, which began at the Seneca Falls Convention in New York in 1848.
Women's suffrage had gained momentum during the Reconstruction Era after the Civil War, and 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 for women. However, the Supreme Court rejected their justification in Minor v. Happersett, which spurred a shift towards 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 the 1890s, suffrage organizations focused on a national amendment while continuing to work at the state and local levels. Leaders such as Lucy Burns and Alice Paul emerged, and their strategies helped move the Nineteenth Amendment forward. By 1916, almost all major suffrage organizations were united behind the goal of a constitutional amendment.
When New York adopted women's suffrage in 1917 and President Wilson endorsed it in 1918, the political balance began to shift further. In May 1919, the House of Representatives passed the amendment, and two weeks later, the Senate followed. The amendment was then ratified by three-fourths of the states (36 in total at the time), and it finally became law on August 26, 1920, when it was certified by U.S. Secretary of State Bainbridge Colby.
The passage of the 19th Amendment was a significant milestone in the history of women's rights in the United States. It was the result of decades of work and struggle by tens of thousands of people across the country. However, it is important to note that despite the amendment, women of colour continued to face barriers to voting due to poll taxes, local laws, and other restrictions.
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The women's suffrage movement began in 1848
The women's suffrage movement in the United States has its roots in the broader women's rights movement, which began to gather momentum in the 1840s. The first women's rights convention, the Seneca Falls Convention, took place in July 1848 in Seneca Falls, New York. Despite opposition from some of its organizers, who deemed the idea too extreme, the convention passed a resolution in favour of women's suffrage. This marked the beginning of the women's suffrage movement in the US.
The Seneca Falls Convention was a regional event, but it sparked a series of women's rights conventions that helped to spread the movement across the country. Two weeks after the Seneca Falls Convention, many of the same speakers gathered at the Rochester Women's Rights Convention of 1848, which also voted to support women's suffrage. The Liberty Party, an abolitionist group, also approved a resolution calling for "universal suffrage in its broadest sense, including women as well as men" in May 1848.
The women's rights movement of the mid-19th century encompassed a broad spectrum of goals, but leaders eventually decided to focus on securing the vote for women. However, the movement was fragmented over tactics and, in 1869, it split into two distinct organizations: the National Woman Suffrage Association (NWSA) and the American Woman Suffrage Association (AWSA). The NWSA, founded by Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, directed its efforts towards changing federal law, while the AWSA pursued a state-by-state strategy.
The first women's suffrage amendment was introduced in Congress in 1878 but was rejected in 1887. In 1890, suffrage organizations began to focus on a national amendment while continuing to work at the state and local levels. It was not until 1919 that a suffrage amendment passed the House of Representatives and the Senate. The 19th Amendment, which prohibited the denial of the right to vote on the basis of sex, was ratified on August 18, 1920, when Tennessee became the 36th state to ratify it.
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The 19th Amendment was the culmination of over 70 years of campaigning
The 19th Amendment, which was added to the US Constitution on August 18, 1920, was the culmination of over 70 years of campaigning. The women's rights movement began at the 1848 Seneca Falls Convention in New York, where nearly 300 women and men gathered to discuss women's social, civil, and religious rights. The convention culminated in the adoption of the Declaration of Sentiments, which included a resolution urging women to secure the vote.
In the following decades, organizations supporting women's rights became more active, and suffrage organizations employed various tactics, including legal arguments based on existing amendments. However, when these arguments were rejected by the US Supreme Court, activists like Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton shifted their focus to advocating for a new constitutional amendment. Despite these efforts, a suffrage proposal introduced to Congress in 1878 was rejected in 1887.
In the late 19th century, new states and territories, particularly in the West, began to grant women the right to vote. By 1916, most major suffrage organizations were united behind the goal of a constitutional amendment. When New York adopted women's suffrage in 1917 and President Wilson endorsed it in 1918, the political momentum shifted further. 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 was then submitted to the states for ratification, and on August 18, 1920, Tennessee became the 36th state to ratify it, marking the final hurdle in a decades-long campaign for women's suffrage. The 19th Amendment legally guaranteed American women the right to vote, prohibiting the denial of suffrage based on sex. While this was a significant milestone, the fight for voting rights continued for African Americans and other minority women, as systemic racism and discriminatory state voting laws persisted.
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The Amendment has inspired songs, films, and TV shows
The 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution, which guarantees women's right to vote, was passed on June 4, 1919, and ratified on August 18, 1920. The adoption of the amendment was certified on August 26, 1920, marking a significant milestone in the history of women's suffrage. This amendment has had a lasting impact on American democracy and has inspired various artistic works over the years, including songs, films, and television shows.
One notable song inspired by the 19th Amendment is Dolly Parton's "A Woman's Right," which was released as part of the 2018 album "27: The Most Perfect Album." This album featured songs inspired by all 27 amendments to the U.S. Constitution. Another song that references the 19th Amendment is the 1976 track "Sufferin' Till Suffrage" from Schoolhouse Rock!, performed by Essra Mohawk and written by Bob Dorough and Tom Yohe. The song's lyrics explicitly mention the amendment's role in granting women the right to vote, with lines like "Not a woman here could vote, no matter what age, Then the Nineteenth Amendment struck down that restrictive rule."
In terms of films and documentaries, there have been several releases that celebrate the 19th Amendment and the women's suffrage movement. The 1995 PBS documentary "One Woman, One Vote," narrated by actor Susan Sarandon, chronicles the Seneca Falls Convention and the journey towards the ratification of the amendment. Filmmaker Ken Burns has also produced two documentaries on the topic: "Not For Ourselves Alone: The Story of Elizabeth Cady Stanton & Susan B. Anthony" (1999) and the first installment of his profile of the women's suffrage movement, focusing on the early years of Stanton and Anthony. Additionally, the 2004 drama "Iron Jawed Angels" depicts suffragists Alice Paul and Lucy Burns and their pivotal roles in securing the passage of the 19th Amendment.
The 19th Amendment has also been commemorated through television programs and videos. Public television offers various videos related to the amendment, including interviews and documentaries. In 2013, author John Green produced a video entitled "Women in the 19th Century: Crash Course US History #31," providing an overview of the women's movement leading up to the amendment. These artistic works, across different mediums, help to educate and spread awareness about the significance of the 19th Amendment and the ongoing struggle for women's equality.
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Frequently asked questions
The 19th Amendment was added to the Constitution on August 26, 1920.
The 19th Amendment prohibits the United States and its states from denying any citizen the right to vote on the basis of sex.
The 19th Amendment granted women the right to vote, a culmination 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. The movement gained momentum in the early 20th century, and in 1919, the amendment passed in the House and Senate. It was then ratified by 36 states and became law on August 18, 1920, with Tennessee being the final state to ratify.
