Women Gain the Right to Vote

Womenvote
Gov[ernor] Emmett D. Boyle of Nevada signing resolution for ratification of Nineteenth Amendment to Constitution of U.S. - Mrs. Sadie D. Hurst who presented the resolution, Speaker of the Assembly D.J. Fitzgerald and group of Suffrage Women, Feb. 7, 1920, Carson City, Nevada

With the ratification of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, women finally gained the right to vote.


The Woman's suffrage movement initially targeted each state government for the passage of legislation enabling women to vote. Two rival organizations -- the National Women's Party, and the National Women's Suffrage Association -- redoubled their efforts to achieve suffrage. They targeted President Wilson directly. Initially, he was not supportive, but the pressure of war finally convinced him that it would be better to capitulate to the group's demands. In June of 1919, the Nineteenth Amendment to the Constitution was passed, giving women the right to vote. The amendment stated:

The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.

Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation."

The amendment took effect with the ratification by Tennessee on August 18th 1920