LIBRARY BLOG
100 Years of Voting
for some, unfortunately not all
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.
– Constitution of United States of America, 19th amendment
August 2020 marks the 100th year that American women have been given the constitutional right to vote. The suffrage movement launched in 1848, at the first women’s rights convention, and it’s this movement that eventually secured women’s right to participate in all elections.
While some states had previously allowed women to vote, Tennessee’s acceptance of the 19th amendment pushed it to officially become part of the United States Constitution on August 26, 1920. The word “women,” for the most part however, included “white women.” African American women and non-white women, especially those living in the South, had to fight much longer for the right to vote. In fact, it wasn’t until 1965 (45 years later), that all women citizens would be given this constitutional right. In a way, this month and even this year is a celebration, but it’s also an acknowledgment that there’s certainly room for improvement.
In observance of women’s suffrage, Terrebonne Parish Library has curated a list of materials and websites about these events in history below.
Websites
Videos
– Rachel, Reference Services Supervisor