The 19th Amendment
August 26, 1920
On this date, Secretary of State Bainbridge Colby proclaimed the 19th Amendment—extending the vote to women—ratified as part of the Constitution. More than a year earlier, the House voted to approve the amendment on May 21, 1919. Introduced by Women’s Suffrage Committee Chairman James R. Mann of Illinois, the Susan B. Anthony Amendment was successfully pushed by suffrage lobbyists who tied U.S. defense of democracy abroad to the extension of democracy at home. The bill gained momentum as the U.S. mobilized to fight World War I with the help of many women. Mann declared, “The time is right, the people are ready and the beneficiaries of this amendment are eager and willing and able to perform the duties of citizenship.” Opposing the amendment, Representative Benjamin Focht of Pennsylvania stated, “no man from New York, Pennsylvania, or Ohio, down in his heart, favors this thing.” Despite opposition, the suffrage bill passed the House by a large margin, 304 to 89. After ratification, women across the country participated in the November 1920 elections for the 67th Congress (1921–1923).
Related Highlight Subjects
Cite this Highlight
Office of History and Preservation, Office of the Clerk, http://clerk.house.gov/art_history/highlights.html?action=view&intID=240, (August 25, 2009).For Additional Information
Office of History and Preservation(202) 226-1300
history@mail.house.gov
Representative James R. Mann of Illinois presided as chairman of three committees before serving as House Minority Leader in the 62nd through 65th Congresses.
Image courtesy of Library of Congress
Teaching Tip
House Legislation
Have students search the highlight dates and locate reference to any legislative document (bill, resolution, speech, etc.). Ask students to track down the document at a local depository library. Students should research the historical background of the document and make a brief presentation which includes reading all or portions of the document aloud. To locate a nearby federal depository library go to http://catalog.gpo.gov.
