Malcolm Rivera
The 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, passed by Congress on June 4, 1919, and ratified on August 18, 1920, granted women the right to vote. This amendment was the culmination of decades of agitation and protest by women's suffrage supporters, who lectured, wrote, marched, lobbied, and practiced civil disobedience to achieve what many Americans considered a radical change to the Constitution. Beginning in the mid-19th century, the movement for women's suffrage gained momentum, with the 1848 Seneca Falls Convention in New York marking the start of the organised campaign for women's rights. Despite strong opposition, women's suffrage supporters persisted, and their efforts were finally rewarded with the passage of the 19th Amendment, which legally guarantees American women the right to vote.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Nineteenth Amendment or Susan B. Anthony Amendment |
| Year of proposal | 1878 |
| Year of ratification | 1920 |
| Date of ratification | 18 August 1920 |
| Date of certification | 26 August 1920 |
| Number of states needed for ratification | 36 |
| Number of states that ratified | 36 (Tennessee was the 36th) |
| Number of American women enfranchised | 26 million |
| 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 19th Amendment
The campaign for women's suffrage was also driven by pro-suffrage organizations, which used legal arguments based on existing amendments. When these arguments were struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court, activists like Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton called 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.
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 still working at the state and local levels. In 1913, more than 5,000 suffragists from across the country paraded down Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, DC, to draw attention to their cause. During World War I, suffragists tried to embarrass President Woodrow Wilson into reversing his opposition to women's suffrage. When New York adopted women's suffrage in 1917, Wilson changed his position to support an amendment in 1918, and the political balance began to shift.
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Women's suffrage campaign
The women's suffrage campaign in the United States was a long and arduous struggle that spanned nearly a century. Beginning in the mid-19th century, the campaign sought to guarantee women the right to vote, which was considered a radical change by many Americans. The campaign involved lectures, writing, marches, lobbying, and civil disobedience, with some suffragists employing more confrontational tactics such as picketing, silent vigils, and hunger strikes.
The campaign can be traced back to the 1848 Seneca Falls Convention in New York, which is considered the beginning of the American women's rights movement. The convention adopted the Declaration of Sentiments, calling for equality between the sexes and urging women to secure the vote. Activists like Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton emerged as key figures in the movement. The first national petition drive for woman suffrage emerged during the Civil War, with the "Petition for Universal Suffrage" calling for a constitutional amendment prohibiting states from disenfranchising citizens based on sex.
In the post-Civil War era, the women's suffrage movement experienced a schism due to disagreements over strategy. The National Woman Suffrage Association (NWSA), led by Stanton and Anthony, opposed the 15th Amendment as it excluded women. Meanwhile, the American Woman Suffrage Association (AWSA) advocated for the franchise on a state-by-state basis. Despite these differences, both organizations worked tirelessly towards the common goal of women's suffrage.
As the movement progressed into the 20th century, suffragists staged large and dramatic parades to draw attention to their cause. In 1913, over 5,000 suffragists marched down Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, DC. During World War I, they targeted President Woodrow Wilson, employing various tactics to pressure him to support a federal woman suffrage amendment. The National Woman's Party (NWP), formed in 1913, played a crucial role in raising public awareness and advocating for the passage of the 19th Amendment.
The women's suffrage campaign faced strong opposition and resistance. Opponents heckled, jailed, and physically abused supporters. However, the relentless efforts of suffragists and their allies eventually led to the passage of the 19th Amendment in 1920, enfranchising 26 million American women and legally guaranteeing their right to vote. This victory marked a significant milestone in the history of women's rights in the United States.
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Women's voting rights
Women's suffrage, or women's right to vote, was a long and difficult campaign in the United States. Before 1776, women had the vote in several colonies, but by 1807, every state constitution had denied women even limited suffrage. The women's suffrage movement began in the mid-19th century, with supporters lecturing, writing, marching, lobbying, and practising civil disobedience. Suffragists also used more confrontational tactics, including picketing, silent vigils, and hunger strikes.
The 1848 Seneca Falls Convention in New York is traditionally held as the start of the American women's rights movement. The convention adopted the Declaration of Sentiments, which called for equality between the sexes and included a resolution urging women to secure the vote. Two rival suffrage organisations formed in 1869: the National Woman Suffrage Association (NWSA), led by Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony, and the American Woman Suffrage Association (AWSA), led by Lucy Stone and Julia Ward Howe. The NWSA and AWSA reunited in 1890 as the National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA).
In 1870, the 15th Amendment to the Constitution was ratified, granting black men the right to vote. Woman suffragists vehemently disagreed over supporting the 15th Amendment, as it excluded women. This "schism" split the women's suffrage movement into two new organisations that focused on different strategies to win women the right to vote.
In 1887, the Susan B. Anthony Amendment, also known as the Anthony Amendment, was introduced in Congress. It stated: "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 amendment was defeated several times before finally being passed by Congress on June 4, 1919, as the 19th Amendment. It was ratified on August 18, 1920, enfranchising 26 million American women in time for the 1920 US presidential election.
However, it is important to note that the 19th Amendment did not fully enfranchise all women, particularly women of colour. Many women remained unable to vote long into the 20th century due to discriminatory state voting laws. The passage of the 19th Amendment was a significant victory for the women's suffrage movement, but the fight for full voting rights for all women continued well into the mid-20th century.
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Women's rights organisations
The 19th 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 achieving this milestone was long and challenging, requiring decades of agitation and protest by women's rights organisations and their supporters. Beginning in the mid-19th century, these organisations employed various tactics, including lecturing, writing, marching, lobbying, and civil disobedience, to bring about what many Americans considered a radical constitutional change.
One of the earliest organised efforts for women's rights was the Seneca Falls Convention in 1848, which resulted in the Declaration of Sentiments calling for equality between the sexes and urging women to secure the vote. This convention is traditionally held as the start of the American women's rights movement. The National Woman Suffrage Association (NWSA), formed in 1869 by Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony, was one of the first dedicated women's suffrage organisations. They opposed the 15th Amendment, ratified in 1870, as it granted voting rights to black men but excluded women.
Over time, more women's rights organisations emerged, employing diverse strategies to pursue voting rights for women. Some focused on passing suffrage acts in individual states, while others challenged male-only voting laws in court. Confrontational tactics such as picketing, silent vigils, and hunger strikes were also utilised by suffragists. By 1916, most major suffrage organisations united behind the goal of a constitutional amendment. The National Woman's Party, led by Alice Paul, began working on the Equal Rights Amendment after the 19th Amendment's adoption, believing it to be a necessary additional step towards equality.
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Ratification
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 ratification was long and challenging, spanning decades and involving numerous generations of women's suffrage supporters.
The campaign for women's suffrage in the United States began in the mid-19th century, with activists lecturing, writing, marching, lobbying, and practising civil disobedience to achieve what many Americans considered a radical constitutional change. The 1848 Seneca Falls Convention in New York, which adopted the Declaration of Sentiments calling for equality between the sexes, is traditionally held as the start of the American women's rights movement. Despite these early efforts, it wasn't until 1878 that the women's suffrage amendment was first introduced in Congress.
The women's suffrage movement employed various strategies to achieve their goal. Some pursued a state-by-state approach, with nine western states adopting women's suffrage legislation by 1912. Others challenged male-only voting laws in court, while some suffragists used more confrontational tactics such as picketing, silent vigils, and hunger strikes. By 1913, suffragists were staging large and dramatic parades to draw attention to their cause, with over 5,000 participants in one such parade in Washington, DC.
The Southern Democrats consistently opposed giving women the right to vote, and the movement faced strong resistance, with opponents heckling, jailing, and even physically abusing supporters. Despite these challenges, the tide began to turn in 1917 when New York adopted women's suffrage, and President Wilson shifted his position to support an amendment in 1918. Between January 1918 and June 1919, the House and Senate voted on the federal amendment five times, with the amendment finally passing the House and then the Senate in May and June 1919, respectively.
The ratification process then moved to the state level, with Wisconsin, Illinois, and Michigan among the early states to ratify the amendment in 1919. Kansas, Ohio, and New York called special sessions of their legislatures to vote in favour of the amendment on June 16, 1919. Pennsylvania became the seventh state to ratify on June 24, 1919, followed by Massachusetts on June 25, 1919. Texas became the ninth state to ratify on June 28, 1919, marking a significant victory as it was the first southern state to vote in favour of the amendment. Tennessee became the 36th state to ratify on August 18, 1920, crossing the three-fourths threshold required for the amendment's passage. The amendment was certified on August 26, 1920, enfranchising 26 million American women in time for the 1920 U.S. presidential election.
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Frequently asked questions
The Nineteenth Amendment.
The Nineteenth Amendment was ratified on August 18, 1920.
The Nineteenth Amendment guaranteed US women the right to vote. It 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."
