How women won the right to vote in US presidential elections

New Delhi:

For the second time in eight years, United States has a woman running for president. But not many know that in the world’s oldest democracy, women didn’t have the right to vote until just over 100 years ago. American women’s fight for the right to vote was a long and arduous one, lasting several decades before the 19th Amendment was passed in 1920.

This movement not only transformed the nation’s political landscape, but also laid the groundwork for future generations to continue to campaign for gender equality and civil rights.

The roots of the suffrage movement can be traced back to the early 19th century, alongside the fight against slavery. Women such as Lucretia Mott emerged as advocates within the anti-slavery movement. When Elizabeth Cady Stanton aligned herself with these antislavery efforts, she and Mott recognized that the rights of both women and enslaved individuals needed urgent attention and reform.

They issued a call for a convention to address women’s rights in 1848. The convention was held in Stanton’s hometown of Seneca Falls, New York on July 19 and 20, 1848. The convention produced a declaration, supporting the right to vote of women and their right to educational and employment opportunities. It also marked the beginning of an official effort to secure voting rights for women and ignited a passionate debate about gender equality in the US.

In the second half of the 19th century, women suffragettes used various strategies to advance their cause. They organized rallies, wrote articles, and lobbied legislators to gain support for their movement.

Notable figures such as Susan B. Anthony—a dynamic suffragist leader—and Sojourner Truth—a former slave and outspoken advocate of abolition, temperance, and civil and women’s rights emerged. They highlighted the injustices faced by women and supported their right to participate in US elections.

Anthony, along with Elizabeth Cady Stanton, co-founded the National Woman Suffrage Association. They also launched a weekly publication called the Women’s Rights Revolution. On the head of the publication was written: “Men, their rights and nothing more; women, their rights and nothing less”.

Anthony was arrested in 1872 for casting his vote in the US election, despite the fact that it was illegal for him to do so. Following her act of defiance, she was arrested and taken to court, where she fought the charges but was ultimately convicted. She was fined $100, which she refused to pay.

World War I provided a major turning point for the suffrage movement. As women took over traditionally male roles in the workforce, their wartime contributions further underscored the importance of their participation in US elections. Changing society contributed to a growing acceptance of women’s suffrage.

The tireless efforts of the suffragists finally paid off when the 19th Amendment was ratified on August 18, 1920. On August 26, the Nineteenth Amendment was officially declared a part of the United States Constitution by the Secretary of State. This announcement enfranchised women, giving them the right to vote in US elections on an equal footing with men.