Ratified on August 18, 1920, the 19th Amendment gave women the right to vote.  Decades of suffrage supporters did everything from marching and lecturing to protesting and illegal voting – civil disobedience that led to the right we take for granted.  Prior to the amendment’s passage, 9 western states had such legislation by 1912.

The movement received a major boost when President Woodrow Wilson gave his support to the amendment.  The House of Representatives passed the amendment in 1919 and the Senate followed suit shortly thereafter.  A Constitutional Amendment requires 3/4 of the states to agree to its addition.  That happened on August 18, 1920… over 100 years ago.

All U.S. citizens should register and vote this November – men and women alike.

“Your Vote is your Voice”

Chery Carr Holtman, curator, Clay County Museum