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WOMEN’Smonth 2020HISTORY Women’s Suffrage 100th Anniversary

The roots of National Women’s History Month go back to March 8, 1857, Composition of U.S. & D.C. Voters by Sex: Passage of Voting Rights for Women by when women from various New York City factories staged a protest over Presidential Elections, 1996-2016 working conditions. The first Women's Day Celebration in the United States Country & Decade, 1890-2020 was held in New York City in 1909. Congress did not officially establish Female Voters Male Voters

100 80 60 40 20 0 0 20 40 60 80 100 National Women's History Week until 1981 to be commemorated annually 1890s New Zealand the second week of March. In 1987, Congress expanded the week to a 55% 53% 1996 1900s Australia*, Finland month. Every year since, Congress has passed a resolution and the 63% 56% 1910s Norway, Denmark, Canada** president has issued a proclamation in celebration. 56% 53% Austria, Germany, Poland, Russia 2000 Netherlands The year 2020 marks the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th 71% 71% 60% 66% Amendment, guaranteeing and protecting women’s constitutional right to of eligible women in of eligible men in 1920s United States, Swedan, Britain, Ireland DC voted in the 60% 56% DC voted in the 1930s Spain, Turkey vote. “Passed by Congress June 4, 1919, and ratified on August 26, 1920, 2016 presidential election 2004 2016 presidential election the 19th Amendment guarantees all American women the right to vote. 64% 59% 1940s France, Italy, Argentina, Japan, Mexico Achieving this milestone required a lengthy and difficult struggle; victory Pakistan, China 60% 56% took decades of agitation and protest. Beginning in the mid-19th century, 2008 1950s India, Colombia, Malaysia, Zimbabwe several generations of woman suffrage supporters lectured, wrote, 69% 61% 1960s Algeria, Iran, Morocco, Libya, Ecuador marched, lobbied, and practiced to achieve what many 59% 54% 1970s Switzerland, Bangladesh, Jordan, Portugal Americans considered a radical change of the Constitution. 2012 1980s Namibia 71% 64% 1990s Western Samoa, Kazakhstan, Moldova, This historic centennial offers an unparalleled opportunity to 58% 54% of eligible women in 58% 54% of eligible men in South Africa commemorate a milestone of democracy and equal rights. For this years’ 2016 the U.S. voted in the the U.S. voted in the 2000s Kuwait, United Arab Emirates Women’s History Month celebration, the Office of Planning offers a 2016 presidential election 71% 66% 2016 presidential election 2010s Saudi Arabia summary of the history of the Women’s Suffrage movement, and a glimpse U.S. Females U.S. Males at voting rate trends by sex in presidential elections in both the U.S. and in D.C. Females D.C. Males Source: Kim Hjelmgaard, USA Today (Feb 2018) *Aborigines, male and female, gained the right to vote in 1962 the District of Columbia. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey **Canadian First Nation, male and female, did not win the right to vote until 1960

U.S. Women’s Suffrage Timeline: 1840 to 1920

1848 1851 1866 1871 1878 1887 1892 1903 1916 8/26/1920 Seneca Falls, NY Akron, OH The Anti-Suffrage Party Washington, DC Washington, DC founds Mary Dreier, Rheta Childe Dorr, Helena, MT Three quarters of First Women's Rights Con- At a women's rights con- and Susan B. Anthony is founded. It challenged A Woman Suffrage First vote on woman the Federal Suffrage Leonora O'Reilly, and others is the the state legisla- vention. Elizabeth Cady vention , a form the American the notion of suffrage as Amendment is proposed suffrage is taken in the Association to campaign form the Women's Trade Union first woman elected to the tures ratify the 19th Stanton writes "The Decla- former slave, delivers her Equal Rights Associa- a “natural right,” and in the U.S. Congress. Senate and defeated. for woman’s sufferage. League of New York, an organi- House of Representatives. Ammendment. ration of Sentiments" creat- now memorable speech, tion, an organization argued women’s political When the 19th Amend- zation of middle- and work- American women ing the agenda of women's "Ain't I a woman?" dedicated to the goal of participation threatened ment passes forty-one ing-class women dedicated to Democratic Party platform gain full voting activism for decades to suffrage for all regard- their important roles as years later, it is worded unionization for working women supports suffrage. rights. come. less of gender or race. wives and mothers. exactly the same as this and to woman suffrage. amendment. 1840s 1850s 1860s 1870s 1880s 1890s 1900s 1910s

1872 1874 1840 1850 Susan B. Anthony casts The Woman's Christian 1893 1913 1919 Worcester, MA 1868 her ballot for Ulysses S. Temperance Union Denver, CO First large, organized Washington, DC and Elizabeth First National Women's Rights Washington, DC Grant in the presiden- (WCTU) is founded by Colorado adopts suffragist parade Senate passes the Cady Stanton are barred Convention. Frederick Doug- Senator S.C. Pomeroy of Kansas tial election and is Annie Wittenmyer. With woman suffrage occurs in DC 19th Ammendment, from attending the World lass, Paulina Wright Davis, Abby introduces the federal woman’s arrested and brought to at its and the ratification Anti-Slavery Convention held Kelley Foster, William Lloyd suffrage amendment in process begins. trial. head (1876), the WCTU 1890 1896 1910 in London. This prompts them Garrison, and Congress. became an important NWSA and AWSA , Olympia, WA to hold a Women's Conven- Sojourner Truth attend. A Sojourner Truth appears proponent in the fight merge and the Ida B. Wells-Barnett, Washington state tion in the US. strong alliance is formed with The Fourteenth Amendment at a polling booth in for woman suffrage. National American and Frances E.W. adopts woman the Abolitionist Movement. ratified. "Citizens" and "voters" Battle Creek, Michigan, Woman Suffrage Harper among others suffrage. are defined exclusively as male. demanding a ballot to 1853 Association is formed. found the the Nation- vote; she is turned away. New York, NY Stanton is the first al Association of Women delegates, 1869 president. The Move- Colored Women’s Antoinette Brown and Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony ment focuses efforts Clubs. Susan B. Anthony, are not found the National Woman Suffrage Associa- on securing suffrage allowed to speak at The tion (NWSA), a more radical institution, to at the state level. Utah joins the Union World's Temperance achieve the vote through a Constitutional with full suffrage Convention. amendment as well as push for other woman’s Wyoming is admitted for women. rights issues. to the Union with a state constitution Idaho adopts Lucy Stone, Henry Blackwell, granting woman woman suffrage. and other more conservative activists form the suffrage American Woman Suffrage Association (AWSA) to work for woman suffrage through amending individual state constitutions. DC Office of Planning • State Data Center • 1100 4th Street SW, Suite 650 • Washington, DC 20024 • 202.442.7600 • planning.dc.gov • dcdataviz.dc.gov WOMEN’S HISTORY month 2020 Women’s Suffrage 100th Anniversary

“Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to Take the Suffrage Quiz! reach for the stars to change the world.” – 1. What does suffrage mean? a. To endure pain b. The right to vote c. To inflict pain unto someone else d. None of the above

2. Why did many women in the U.S. House wear yellow roses on May 21, 2019? a. To honor the composer of “The Yellow Rose of Texas.” b. To commemorate the House passing of the 19th Amendment in 1919. c. To honor a deceased member who favored yellow roses. d. To commemorate the passage of the Voting Rights Act in 1965.

3. Who were the two leaders of the national suffrage organization in the final years? a. Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton b. Harriet Stanton Blatch and Alice Stone Blackwell c. and d. and

4. What were the colors of the suffrage movement? a. White and purple b. Purple and gold c. Gold, white and purple d. Gold and white

5. Which suffrage advocates’ home may you now visit? a. Alice Paul b. Harriet Tubman c. Elizabeth Cady Stanton d. Matilda Joslyn Gage e. All of the above

6. When did the 19th Amendment become law? a. August 26th, 1919 b. August 18th, 1920 c. August 26th, 2020 d. August 19th, 1919

7. The 1848 was an early women’s rights convention. One woman in attendance crafted a document, outlining grievances and demands. What was this document called? a. Declaration of Independence b. Declaration of Sentiments c. Emancipation Proclamation d. Articles of Confederation

8. What percentage of states need to ratify an amendment to the U.S, Constitution before it becomes law? a. 1/4 b. 2/4 c. 3/4 d. 4/4

9. The women’s rights movement finds its roots in abolitionism. Which famous abolitionist spoke at the Seneca Falls Convention? a. Sojourner Truth b. Frederick Douglas c. John Brown d.

10. Women were able to cast votes before 1920. a. True b. False

11. Under which President did the 19th Amendment become law? a. b. William H. Taft c. d. Warren Harding

12. The 19th Amendement gave all women the right to vote. a. True b. False

DC Office of Planning • State Data Center • 1100 4th Street SW, Suite 650 • Washington, DC 20024 • 202.442.7600 • planning.dc.gov • dcdataviz.dc.gov

Answers: 1. b; 2. b; 3. d; 4. d; 5. e; 6. c; 7. b; 8. c; 9. b; 10. a; 11. a; 12. b