The Power of Women Voters100 Years since the passage of the 19th Amendment to the US Constitution

Women fought for you to have the vote. Prize it!
​It is the Emblem of Your Libery.

It hard to believe that, as recently as 1920, women (51% of the US population of the United States) did not have the legal right to vote. Women could not own property, enter into contracts, sign legal documents, or control what happened to their wages or their children. Women, who dared to speak in public, were ridiculed, reviled, threatened, brutally attacked, thrown in jail and even tortured. The story of the fight to achieve women’s suffrage is not a pretty one. Today 55% of American voters are women! Here is some of the history of how we got that vote:

In 1848, women held a convention in Seneca Falls, New York, and wrote the Declaration of Sentiments declaring that “All men and women are created equal, endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights.” Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony initiated the struggle, advocating for gender equity at town halls, in legislative offices, churches and community gatherings. Despite their remarkable efforts, they never lived to see women achieve the vote.

The baton was taken up by Carrie Chapman Catt, who was appointed by Susan B. Anthony to lead the National American Women’s Suffrage Association (NAWSA.) Catt was a skilled orator and negotiator. She and her followers met with legislators throughout the nation, in small towns, large cities, and state capitals. They advocated for equal rights with US Congressmen and Senators, and even met with President Woodrow Wilson on numerous occasions. They appealed to the Republican and the Democratic party leaders to lead the way and free 17 million women from political slavery. (Catt, also founded the League of Women Voters to educate and inform the public.)

There were others who had different opinions about how to achieve the vote. Alice Paul and Lucy Burns broke from the NAWSA and formed the National Women’s Party, because they believed that the only way to win the vote was to use non-violent civil disobedience. In 1913, the day before Woodrow Wilson’s inauguration, they staged The Woman Suffrage Procession, which was the first suffragist parade in Washington, D.C. They were the first organization to stage a demonstration in front of the White House. This brought the ire of many who thought their actions were undemocratic during World War I. Eventually, 33 women were thrown in jail, and after they began a hunger strike, were force fed. When covered by the press, this torture of women led to a national uproar and eventually led the US Congress to adopt the 19th Amendment to the US Constitution.

However, in order to become law, it had to be ratified by ¾ of the states in the nation.
All of the women’s organizations began to advocate with state governments for their rights. Starting with Wyoming, which gave women the vote in 1869, ratification slowly began in the west and moved east. Unfortunately, the leaders of the women’s movement needed the votes of the southern states. Some in the suffrage movement therefore abandoned the inclusion of blackwomen. This left a stain upon the suffrage history.

Finally, it came down to one more needed state, all eyes were on Tennessee. A special session of the Tennessee legislature was called in the summer of 1920. After a brutal year of political fighting, on August 20, 1920, by one vote in the legislature, the 19th Amendment was ratified and became law, giving women the right to full citizenship in the United States.

The struggle for the vote lasted 72 years! The League of Women Voters has been a strong voice for educating voters for 100 years. In 2016, 63.3% of women and 59.3% of men voted. Women’s vote is every bit as important today as it was 100 years ago!

Today more than ever, the vote is the emblem of your equality, women of America, the guarantee of your liberty. There are many issues in today’s political landscape that need the input of women. Honor those women who struggled for you. We need your minds and voices. Exercise your rights. ACT! VOTE!