On this day 100 years ago, women in the United States earned the right to vote with the ratification of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution.
While some centennials are regarded as little more than historical footnotes to be casually noted and quickly forgotten, this anniversary retains as much powerful relevance today as when it was first enacted.
The journey of the suffrage movement remains one of the most powerful examples of persistence in American History. The American suffrage movement traces its history to 1848 when 200 women convened in Seneca Falls, N.Y. Generations of women who fought for the right died without seeing the fruits of their labor, yet the effort never faltered, even in the face of repeated failure.
Although women had secured the right to vote in several western states by the turn of the century, the first effort to extend voting rights to women throughout the nation through an amendment to the Constitution was proposed in 1878. Every year, the proposal was made in Congress. Every year, it failed — a string 41 consecutive failures.
Finally, in 1919, Congress approved the amendment, sending it to the states for ratification. Two-thirds of the states, 36 in all, were needed to ratify the amendment. It came down to Tennessee, which voted for ratification by a one-vote margin on this date in 1920, bringing a successful end to a campaign that had started 172 years earlier.
Today, the significance of the 19th Amendment cannot be overstated.
Once earning the right to vote — a right not fully extended to Black women until the 1965 Voting Rights Act — women have become perhaps the most powerful voting bloc in our nation.
Over the past 40 years, women have both registered to vote and voted at a higher rate than men.
According to the latest data, 53 percent of registered voters in the U.S. are women. In the 2018 midterm elections, women voted at a 3.2 percent higher rate than men.
Now, as we approach the 2020 elections in November, we should all take a moment to recognize the long struggle for women’s suffrage, as well as the sacrifices of Black Americans in the South, to secure the right to vote. It did not come easily or painlessly.
The best tribute we can make is to register and vote.
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 32 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.