Telling the Story of One Hundred Years of Women’s Suffrage: Here’s Where We Stand

13 Jan Telling the Story of One Hundred Years of Women’s Suffrage: Here’s Where We Stand

It’s January of 1920.

The previous year saw huge gains in the struggle for women’s suffrage.

But

There’s  a long way to go before women actually gain the right to register and vote in the 1920 election on November 2.

Here’s Where We Stand

• May 21, 1919, the US House of Representatives finally passed the Susan B. Anthony Amendment, giving women the right to vote.
• The Senate followed suit on June 4, and the bill was sent to the states to ratify as the Nineteenth Amendment.

Now comes the Countdown

• Thirty-six of the forty-eight state legislatures must ratify the amendment for it to become law. This was before Alaska and Hawaii came into the union. Today, it would take thirty-eight votes to pass a congressional amendment.
• As of January 1, 1920, twenty-two states have ratified.
• Two states have rejected the amendment.
• Twenty-four states have yet to weigh in.
• Fourteen of those states must ratify before November, if women are to vote in the next election.

The Roll Call Thus Far in 1919

June 10–Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan–YES

June 16, 1919–Kansas, Ohio, New York–YES

June 24–Pennsylvania–YES

June 25–Massachusetts–YES

June 28–Texas–YES–the first Southern state to ratify

July 2–Iowa–YES–home of suffragist Carrie Chapman Catt and the 10th state to vote yes

July 3–Missouri–YES

July 24–Georgia–NO–the first Southern state to reject

July 28–Arkansas–YES

August 2–Montana and Nebraska–YES

September 8–Minnesota–YES

September 10–New Hampshire–YES

September 17-Alabama–NO

September 30–Utah–YES

November 1–California–YES–and we’re half way there!

November 5–Maine–YES

December 1–North Dakota–YES

December 4–South Dakota–YES

December 12–Colorado–YES

Let’s see what 1920 will bring!