Virtual Event
Beyond the 19th Amendment: A Century of Growing Political Power Amid Unequal Suffrage
October 13, 2020 | 1:00PM (ET)
Join CAWP for a virtual panel devoted to furthering our understanding of the suffrage centennial - how the women's vote has evolved over the past 100 years and the unequal ways in which access to the ballot was achieved for women of color.
Women's suffrage, the legal right of women to vote, was established nationally in the United States with the passage of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution in August 1920. While a landmark moment in history, it would be several decades before all women, particularly women of color, were able to exercise their voting rights. In 1924, the Snyder Act granted Native Americans citizenship rights, including the right to vote. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 sought to overcome legal barriers at the state and local levels that prevented racial minorities, especially Black voters in the South, from exercising their right to vote as guaranteed under the 15th and 19th Amendments to the Constitution. The 1975 extension of the Voting Rights Act ended discrimination against "language minorities," including those who speak Asian, American Indian, Alaska Native, and Spanish languages, by requiring certain jurisdictions to provide translation materials for voter registration information and ballots.
Prior to the passage of 19th Amendment, women had the right to vote to in various elections in a number of states and localities. More details available at the National Constitution Center.
Explore CAWP's data and research on voter turnout rates for women in recent elections, the gender gap in voting, and women's vote in presidential elections. Learn about the history of women's suffrage with an interactive timeline of the suffrage movement from the National Women's History Museum. Discover different state and local suffrage programs and download a centennial planning toolkit all from the Women's Vote Centennial website. Find teaching materials, activities, and books on women's suffrage for students of all ages from CAWP's Teach a Girl to Lead® initiative.