On June 4, 1919, Congress passed the 19th Amendment, granting women the right to vote. The amendment stated that the right to vote could not be denied based on sex. Following congressional approval, the amendment needed to be ratified by 36 states before being added to the Constitution. The first three states to ratify the amendment were Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin, with Michigan voting unanimously. By July 1919, 12 states had ratified the amendment, with Georgia being the only state to vote against ratification initially.
As the year turned to 1920, more states continued to ratify the amendment. South Carolina voted overwhelmingly against it, while Washington became the 35th state to ratify on March 22. Finally, on August 18, 1920, Tennessee ratified the amendment, bringing the total to 36. The ratification was certified on August 26, and the 19th Amendment was added to the U.S. Constitution. Despite the ratification, women still faced challenges in being able to vote, as voter registration deadlines in four states prevented many women from participating in the 1920 election.
Opposition to women’s suffrage was widespread, with political cartoons, religious leaders, and articles criticizing women who participated in public life. Anti-suffrage groups began to organize in the 1860s, with Massachusetts being one of the first states with such a group. Despite the challenges, prominent suffragists like Jane Addams continued to advocate for women’s right to vote. Eventually, each U.S. state would ratify the 19th Amendment, with Mississippi being the last in 1984.
While the 19th Amendment granted women the right to vote in 1920, challenges remained for women in actually exercising that right. In some states, women were unable to vote in the 1920 election due to ratification occurring after voter registration deadlines. The eventual ratification of the 19th Amendment marked a significant step towards gender equality in the United States, paving the way for women to participate more fully in the democratic process. Today, the passage of the 19th Amendment is celebrated as a milestone in the fight for equal rights and representation for all citizens.
