Today in History: August 18, 1920

19th Amendment gives women the vote

2024: ERA STILL NOT PASSED



FILE - In this August 1920 file photo, Alice Paul, seated second from left, sews the 36th star on a banner, celebrating the ratification of the women’s suffrage amendment. The banner flew in front of headquarters of the Women’s Party in Washington of which Miss Paul was national chairperson. The 36th star represented Tennessee, whose ratification completed the number of states needed to put the amendment in the Constitution.

BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Today in history:
On Aug. 18, 1920, the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, guaranteeing American women’s right to vote, was ratified as Tennessee became the 36th state to approve it.

UPI Archives

August 26, 1920

Women's right to vote now official in United States

WASHINGTON, Aug. 26, 1920 (UP) - The right of women to the ballot was formally made a part of the Constitution of the United States today when Secretary of State Colby proclaimed ratification of the nineteenth amendment.

Colby announced the proclamation when he arrived at his office today, having signed it shortly before at his home here.

The official certification that Tennessee had become the 36th state to ratify the amendment was taken to his home early today.

A group of suffrage leaders who had waited until a late hour last night for the arrival of the Tennessee certification were hurriedly summoned to the State Department and met Colby.

They cheered when he told them the last step to make the amendment operative had been taken.

Among those in the party were Miss Alice Paul, chairman of the National Women's Party; Mrs. Abby Scott Baker; Miss Julia Emorty, Baltimore; Dr. Lydia Allen Devilbis of Georgia; Miss Mary Moore Forrest, Scituate, Mass.; Mrs. Anne Calvert Neely, Vicksburg, Miss.; Mrs. Walb, Houston, Tex.; Mrs. Cyrus Meade, Dayton, Ohio; Miss Emilie Grace Kay, St. Paul, Minn.; and Miss Emma Wold, Portland, Ore.

The Tennessee certification was taken to Colby's home by Charles L. Cooke, master of ceremonies of the State Department, and Colby and Frederick Nielson, State Department solicitor, went over it for possible legal flaws. They found none, it was stated.

Suffragists had expected to make the ceremony of proclaiming the amendment a public one and evidently were disappointed.

They requested him to go through the ceremony again for their benefit and for moving picture men.

Colby said he would consider going over the ceremony again and went into his office.

The women, however, left the State Department without waiting for Colby's decision.

They held a jubilation at their own headquarters a short distance away.

Miss Alice Paul declared that the suffragists will not relax their vigilance until they are sure that no further attempts will be made to take from the women what they have won.

Miss Paul will go to New York immediately to attend a conference where the date of the National Women's Party convention will be decided.