Amendment XIX · Progressive Era Amendment
Nineteenth Amendment: Women's suffrage
About 10 min total: 5 min reading + 5 min for its 6 practice questions
The vote cannot be denied because of sex.
- Proposed by Congress
- June 4, 1919
- Ratified
- August 18, 1920
- Group
- Progressive Era Amendment
The text
The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.
Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.
What it means
- Neither the U.S. nor any state may deny or abridge the right to vote because of sex.
Who proposed it
Senator Aaron A. Sargent of California first introduced the same wording on January 10, 1878. It became known as the "Susan B. Anthony Amendment" after the suffrage leader who helped write it. Congress finally passed it in 1919 (House May 21, Senate June 4).
When it was proposed and ratified
- Proposed by Congress: June 4, 1919. House May 21, Senate June 4, 1919.
- Ratified: August 18, 1920. Tennessee was the 36th state. Secretary of State Bainbridge Colby certified it August 26, 1920.
Amendments are not signed into law. Congress proposes them by a two-thirds vote of both houses, and they become part of the Constitution when three-fourths of the states ratify. The President has no formal role (Article V).
Why it was made
Women had organized for the vote since the Seneca Falls Convention (1848), led by Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Lucretia Mott, Susan B. Anthony, and later Carrie Chapman Catt and Alice Paul. Many Western states had already given women the vote, and women's work during World War I strengthened the case. The amendment was defeated in Congress several times before it passed.
Key Supreme Court cases
None of the FCLE landmark cases centers on this amendment. See all landmark cases.
FCLE tips
- Took effect in time for the 1920 presidential election.
| This | With this |
|---|---|
| 19th: sex (women's suffrage, 1920) | 15th: race (1870) |
Sources: National Archives (text and dates); Constitution Annotated (Congress.gov) (proposal and ratification history); U.S. Senate Historical Office and Library of Congress (sponsors).