Suffragist Genevieve Clark, circa 1914. In 1914 her father, Speaker of the House Champ Clark, announced his support for what became the 19th amendment.
Beginning in the mid-nineteenth century, several generations of woman suffrage supporters lectured, wrote, marched, lobbied, and practiced civil disobedience to achieve what many Americans considered a radical change in the U.S. Constitution. Militant suffragists used tactics such as parades, silent vigils, and hunger strikes.
The ratification of the U.S. Constitution’s 19th Amendment on August 26, 1920, marked a turning point for America as women were guaranteed the right to vote. It was the culmination of a 72-year-long civil rights movement that originated at the world’s first women’s rights convention held in Seneca Falls, New York, in 1848. On August 26 each year the United States celebrates this milestone through Women’s Equality Day, which was established in 1971.
You may wish to view records on woman suffrage and the 19th Amendment from the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) for additional information.
Additional Resources:
- Women
- Women’s History
- One Hundred Years toward Suffrage: An Overview
- Library of Congress – Women’s Rights
Via: USA.gov
