100 years. That’s how long women in the US have had the right to vote. The 19th amendment – which amended the Constitution to say that citizens can’t be denied the right to vote based on their sex – was ratified on Aug. 18, 1920 after being passed by Congress on June 4, 1919.
It was a long + difficult fight for women, and 100 years of voting rights is a reason to celebrate. 🍾 Before we pop the champagne, let’s take a look at what it took to get here. 👇
National suffrage
○ The women’s rights movement began to organize nationally in 1848.
○ In July of 1848, the Seneca Falls Convention was organized by Elizabeth Cady Stanton + Lucretia Mott (names you’ve probably heard before), and more than 300 people – mostly women – attended.
○ Black suffragists, including Sojourner Truth + Ida B. Wells-Barnett, created their own groups, like the National Association of Colored Women’s Clubs.
○ The amendment allowing women the right to vote was first introduced to Congress in 1878, and took 42 years to be ratified.
○ 15 states adopted complete women’s suffrage legislation prior to the 19th amendment, but South Carolina was not one of them.
○ On Aug. 26, 1920 after many marches, protests, and debates, the 19th amendment was ratified, and on Nov. 2, 1920, more than 8 million American women voted for the first time.
Local suffrage
○ South Carolina initially voted against the 19th amendment in 1920, but officially ratified it in 1969.
○ A name you should know — Anita Politzer. Anita, along with her two sisters and two aunts, was extremely active in the local + national suffrage movements. In 1915, she began working with the U.S. suffrage movement, and eventually founded SC’s branch of the Congressional Union for Woman Suffrage with her sisters. She’s even credited for using her charm to persuade Tennessee legislator Harry T. Burn to cast the deciding vote for the 19th amendment while at dinner the night before. Read the full story + her impacts locally, nationally and globally here.
○ 54%. That’s how many women were registered to vote in November 2018, according to the US Census Bureau. Check out this article for more information about SC women in the government.
Bonus — a comprehensive timeline of the fight for women’s suffrage + a calendar of events for National Women’s Suffrage Month.
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