Suffrage Success at Last!
Women's Suffrage
After years of relentless campaigning, and thanks to the influence of Catt, President Woodrow Wilson expressed his support for women’s suffrage for the first time in office in a speech before Congress in 1918. Echoing the sentiments of activists who emphasized the importance of women in the patriotic war effort and their important contributions to America, Wilson related his support of the proposed suffrage amendment to America’s participation in World War I. Wilson affirmed, “We have made partners of the women in this war… Shall we admit them only to a partnership of suffering and sacrifice and toil and not to a partnership of privilege and right?”
Despite presidential support, the proposed women’s suffrage amendment failed in the Senate. However, the 19th amendment guaranteeing women the right to vote was finally passed in the House in May 1919 and the Senate in June 1919. On August 26, 1920, the 19th amendment was ratified and less than three months later, more than 8 million women cast their ballots for the first time.
After decades of work, by many different people, the women’s suffrage movement finally succeeded. Its success shows how important it is to work toward advancing a cause you care about – even if it means overcoming challenges, setbacks, and resistance. What began in London with Lucretia Mott and Elizabeth Cady Stanton and a tea party with Mott, Stanton, and three other bold women, grew into a nationwide movement that guaranteed the constitutional right to vote for women and gave them a voice in their future. Just like these bold activists, with hard work, dedication, and a commitment to doing the right thing, anyone – even you – can change the course of history.
