Simone Lawson
The Nineteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, passed on June 4, 1919, and ratified on August 18, 1920, is a landmark moment in the history of women's voting rights in the United States. 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 any State on account of sex. This amendment was the culmination of a long and arduous struggle by generations of activists, dating back to the mid-19th century, who lectured, wrote, marched, lobbied, and practiced civil disobedience to achieve this radical change. Despite its significance, the amendment did not ensure the immediate enfranchisement of all women, and the fight for voting rights for women of colour continued for decades, with full protection only being realised with the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name of Amendment | 19th Amendment / Nineteenth Amendment |
| Date of Ratification | 18 August 1920 / 26 August 1920 |
| Text of Amendment | "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." |
| Number of States Required for Ratification | 36 |
| Number of States Granting Women Full or Partial Voting Rights Before Ratification | 22 or 23 |
| Number of American Women Enfranchised | 26 million |
| Notable Activists | Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Alice Paul |
| Organisations | National Woman Suffrage Association (NWSA), American Woman Suffrage Association (AWSA), National Woman's Party (NWP), League of Women Voters of the United States (LWV) |
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What You'll Learn
The 19th Amendment
> "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 the power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation."
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 still working at the state and local levels. By 1916, almost all of the major suffrage organisations were united behind the goal of a constitutional amendment. When New York adopted women's suffrage in 1917 and President Wilson changed his position to support an amendment in 1918, the political balance began to shift. On May 21, 1919, the House of Representatives passed the amendment, and two weeks later, the Senate followed. When Tennessee became the 36th state to ratify the amendment on August 18, 1920, the amendment passed its final hurdle of obtaining the agreement of three-fourths of the states.
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Women's suffrage campaign
The women's suffrage campaign in the United States was a long and difficult struggle that took decades of agitation and protest to achieve success. The campaign can be traced back to the mid-19th century, when several generations of women's suffrage supporters began lecturing, writing, marching, lobbying, and practicing civil disobedience to achieve what many Americans considered a radical change to the Constitution. The 1848 Seneca Falls Convention in New York, which called for equality between the sexes and included a resolution urging women to secure the vote, is traditionally held as the start of the American women's rights movement.
One of the earliest organised efforts in the campaign for women's suffrage was the National Woman Suffrage Association (NWSA), founded by Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony in 1869. They sent a petition to Congress in 1871, requesting that suffrage rights be extended to women and that women be heard on the floor of Congress. Another group, the American Woman Suffrage Association (AWSA), founded by Lucy Stone, Julia Ward Howe, and Thomas Wentworth Higginson, sent a similar petition to Congress in 1872, asking that women in Washington, D.C., and the territories be allowed to vote and hold office.
The women's suffrage movement faced strong opposition and disagreements over strategy, with some pursuing state-by-state legislation while others advocated for a constitutional amendment. Activists used a variety of tactics, including lobbying, petitioning, parades, pageants, street speaking, and demonstrations. Some suffragists employed more confrontational tactics such as picketing, silent vigils, and hunger strikes, and many faced fierce resistance, including heckling, imprisonment, and physical abuse.
By the early 20th century, the movement gained momentum, with suffragists staging large and dramatic parades to draw attention to their cause. In 1913, over 5,000 suffragists marched in Washington, D.C., and during World War I, they pressured President Woodrow Wilson to support a federal woman suffrage amendment. On June 4, 1919, Congress passed a joint resolution proposing a constitutional amendment extending the right of suffrage to women, and on August 18, 1920, the 19th Amendment was finally ratified, guaranteeing women the right to vote.
However, it is important to note that the 19th Amendment did not ensure full enfranchisement for all women. African American, Asian American, Hispanic American, and Native American women still faced barriers to voting due to discriminatory state voting laws, and it took decades of additional struggle to secure their voting rights.
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State-by-state strategy
The 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, adopted on August 26, 1920, guarantees women the right to vote. The road to achieving this milestone was long and arduous, requiring decades of agitation and protest by generations of activists. The text of the amendment 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."
The campaign for women's suffrage was not limited to a single strategy, and approaches varied over time. One of the key strategies employed was a state-by-state approach, which played out in different ways. Here is an overview of the state-by-state strategy:
Early State-Level Successes
The push for women's suffrage gained momentum in the mid-19th century, with activists like Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton advocating for change. In 1848, the Seneca Falls Convention in New York, inspired by Lucy Stone, called for equality between the sexes and urged women to secure the vote. This marked the beginning of the American women's rights movement.
The first tangible successes came at the state level. Between 1869 and the early 20th century, several states and territories, including Wyoming, Utah, Washington, Montana, Colorado, Idaho, and 14 other states, granted women the right to vote through amendments to their state constitutions. These successes were achieved through lobbying, advocacy, and local campaigns.
The National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA)
Formed in 1890, the NAWSA played a pivotal role in the women's suffrage movement. Led by Carrie Chapman Catt, the organization pursued a dual-track strategy known as "The Winning Plan." This strategy combined state-by-state organizing and lobbying with efforts in the nation's capital. Catt's approach helped unite different parts of the suffrage movement, directing the focus toward sophisticated organizing and lobbying efforts.
The National Woman's Party (NWP)
In 1916, Alice Paul, a prominent suffragist, broke away from the NAWSA and formed the National Woman's Party (NWP). The NWP was dedicated solely to fighting for a constitutional amendment for women's suffrage. They believed that a federal amendment was necessary to guarantee women's voting rights nationwide. The NWP employed more radical tactics, including regular protests outside the White House during World War I.
State Ratification of the 19th Amendment
After Congress passed the joint resolution proposing the 19th Amendment on June 4, 1919, the amendment was submitted to the states for ratification. For it to become part of the Constitution, three-fourths of the states (36 states at the time) needed to approve it. Within days, several states ratified the amendment, and by March 1920, 35 states had done so. The campaign faced fierce resistance, and it wasn't until the summer of 1920 that Tennessee became the 36th state to ratify, ensuring the amendment's adoption.
In conclusion, the state-by-state strategy was a critical component of the overall campaign for women's suffrage. It achieved early successes in granting voting rights at the local level and played a crucial role in building momentum and support for the eventual passage of the 19th Amendment, which guaranteed women's voting rights nationwide.
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Voting rights discrimination
The 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, ratified on August 18, 1920, granted women the right to vote. 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". This amendment was the culmination of a long and difficult campaign that began in the mid-19th century. Women's suffrage supporters employed various tactics, including lecturing, writing, marching, lobbying, and civil disobedience, to achieve what many Americans considered a radical change to the Constitution.
However, it is important to note that the 19th Amendment did not ensure full voting rights for all women. While it extended voting rights to 26 million American women, it failed to fully enfranchise African American, Asian American, Hispanic American, and Native American women. These women continued to face discrimination and voter suppression due to discriminatory state voting laws. It wasn't until the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 that racial discrimination in voting was banned, allowing equal access to the democratic process for women of colour. Additionally, women with disabilities gained protections in 1990 with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The women's suffrage movement also experienced tensions and fractures over race. While Black suffragists played a pivotal role in the passage of the 19th Amendment, they remained without a practical right to vote. They often faced limitations within civil and voting rights organizations, where their voices were limited or ignored. The introduction of the 15th Amendment, which enfranchised Black men but not women, further contributed to the deterioration of interracial, mixed-gender coalitions.
In conclusion, while the 19th Amendment was a significant step forward for women's voting rights, it did not end voting rights discrimination. It took decades of additional activism and legislation to address the systemic racism and discrimination that prevented women of colour from fully exercising their right to vote.
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Ratification and enforcement
The 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which guarantees women the right to vote, was passed by Congress on June 4, 1919, and ratified on August 18, 1920. The road to its ratification was long and arduous, requiring a century of agitation and protest by generations of activists.
The 19th Amendment 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 the power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation."
The fight for women's suffrage in the U.S. began in the mid-19th century, with the 1848 Seneca Falls Convention in New York considered the start of the women's rights movement. The Seneca Falls Convention adopted the Declaration of Sentiments, which called for equality between the sexes and included a resolution urging women to secure the vote.
In the decades that followed, women organized, petitioned, and picketed to win the right to vote. They employed a variety of tactics, including legal arguments, lecturing, writing, marching, lobbying, and civil disobedience. Despite their efforts, women faced fierce resistance, with opponents resorting to heckling, jailing, and physical abuse.
The first introduction of the amendment in Congress occurred in 1878, and by 1912, nine western states had adopted women's suffrage legislation. In 1916, almost all major suffrage organizations united behind the goal of a constitutional amendment. In 1918, a suffrage bill passed the House but failed in the Senate. However, with increasing public pressure, lawmakers from both parties worked to pass the amendment by the 1920 general election.
The amendment was then submitted to the states for ratification, requiring approval from three-fourths of the states (36 states) to become a Constitutional Amendment. On August 18, 1920, Tennessee became the 36th state to ratify the amendment, and it was officially adopted on August 26, 1920, over a century after the earliest recorded vote cast by a woman in America in 1756.
While the 19th Amendment was a significant milestone, it did not ensure full enfranchisement for all women. African American, Asian American, Hispanic American, and Native American women continued to face discrimination and voter suppression, and it would take decades of continued struggle to secure their voting rights.
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Frequently asked questions
The Nineteenth Amendment (also known as the 19th Amendment) relates to voting rights for women.
The 19th Amendment was passed on June 4, 1919, and ratified on August 18, 1920.
The 19th Amendment 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."
The 19th Amendment enfranchised 26 million American women, allowing them to vote in the 1920 US presidential election. However, it did not fully enfranchise women of colour, and many faced discrimination and voter suppression.
The campaign for women's suffrage was long and difficult, with supporters lecturing, writing, marching, lobbying, and practising civil disobedience. It took decades of agitation and protest to achieve victory.
