By Dr. David Childs, Ph.D.
Northern Kentucky University
Nineteenth Amendment
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.
Introduction
Today many young people take the fact that they have the right to vote for granted. In a recent poll by the Education Week Research Center from September 2018, only 28% of youth ages 18-24 said they would definitely vote in the upcoming election. This seems to point to the fact that many young people (particularly women and minorities) are not fully aware of the many hardships their forebears underwent to win the right to vote. This article offers a brief discussion of the history of the nineteenth amendment that granted women voting rights. The article also offers some educational resources that may assist teachers with lessons surrounding the nineteenth amendment and women’s suffrage.
A Brief History of Women’s Suffrage
The United States Constitution (Adopted in 1789) left the question of women’s suffrage undefined. As a result, all states at that time denied women the right to vote with the exception of New Jersey, who eventually revoked the right in 1807. Afterwards, there were small pockets of organizations and movements dedicated to women’s rights, but the movement became officially organized at the Seneca Falls Convention in New York in 1848. From that time on, the women within the suffrage movement fought a long hard battle at the state and national level to receive the right to vote.
The Minor V. Happersett Supreme Court case of 1875 unanimously ruled that the Fourteenth Amendment did not grant women the right to vote. Up until that time there were an increasing number of states that granted women the right to vote, however there were still some that disenfranchised women. The Nineteenth Amendment essentially overruled Minor V. Happersett. Senator Aaron A. Sargent originally introduced the amendment to congress in 1878, however it was not submitted to the states for ratification until 1919, 41 years later. Not all states supported the amendment, only three fourths of the states ratified it. In short, in comparison to the history of the United States, women were only recently granted the right to vote. Please explore the lessons and resources below and also respond to the discussions at the conclusion of the article.
Lesson Plans
Lesson Plan: 19th Amendment
19th Amendment- NEA Lesson
Women’s Suffrage | Teaching Tolerance
Woman Suffrage and the 19th Amendment- Teaching History.org
The Road to Suffrage
The 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution gave women the right to vote in 1920
Teaching the 19th Amendment- Lesson Plans
Women’s Suffrage: Their Rights and Nothing Less
When Life Gives You Beyoncé, Teach with Lemonade
Women of Color and Feminism: A History Lesson and Way Forward
Teacher Resources
The History of Women’s Suffrage
Primary Documents in American History- 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution
The Woman Suffrage Movement- National Women’s History Museum
Woman Suffrage Timeline (1840-1920)
Facts About the Suffragettes- National Geographic for Kids
Annenberg Classroom – Nineteenth Amendment
Make Women’s History Month Come to Life with Comics!
Video Resources
Women’s Suffrage-PBS
Sound Smart: Women’s Suffrage | History Channel
Women’s Suffrage: Crash Course US History #31
Courage in Corsets- PBS
Women’s Suffrage- History Channel
Fighting for the Vote- Women’s Suffrage in America Part 1
Secrets Of A Suffragette (Women’s Rights Documentary) | Timeline
References
Youth Politics: A Result of a National Survey
Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution
Common Interpretation- The Nineteenth Amendment
The Nineteenth Amendment In 1920 women secured the right to vote
Suffragette Movement
10 things you (probably) didn’t know about the Suffragettes
Sojourner Truth 1797-1883
Why Black Feminism & Womanism?
Womanism
Womanist – Alice Walker’s Term for Black Feminist – ThoughtCo
Discussion Questions
1. What are contemporary ways that certain groups may be disenfranchised in today’s society?
2. Have you incorporated lessons on women’s rights and/or voting into your curriculum?
3. What ways do you feel women’s right are connected to civics and citizenship education?
4. In what ways can teaching youth about the history of voting rights in the US motivate them to participate more in the democratic process?
5. How might one teach the difference between mainstream feminism and black feminism? Why was it necessary to have two distinct movements?
The lack of interest in voting in this generation is totally true. I even find myself not voting because I simply don’t know enough about politics to feel confidant in my vote. I think that young people today don’t really pay attention to politics or take any interest in and political voting at all. I think its important for this generation or U.S. citizens to take politics seriously since we are now contributing to the voting population.
It is very sad that many young people, especially women and minorities, do not exercise their right to vote. I feel that not many people fully understand the importance of voting in elections. As educators, it is our responsibility to teach our students about their rights so that they feel confident in their decisions. I don’t think that there is enough focus on voting rights in schools and that is why many people do not choose to vote. In this past presidential election, many people I know did not vote because they did not like either candidate, which is really sad. It is important that we educate our students and other US citizens about their rights and help them understand the importance.
Voting is one of the biggest rights that we have as US citizens. I was always taught the importance both in school and in my household. The day I turned 18 was also the day I resisted to vote. personally, I feel my generation is very vocal with their beliefs and it shocks me to know that under 30% of young adults actually exercise this awesome, empowering right we have. Your vote is important no matter your age, sex, or race and it really does matter!
Voting plays a huge role in our world. Even if you don’t think so, every single vote counts. You have the right to be heard and to vote for who you want. I myself has actually never voted because I simply do not have a very good understanding of politics but this article has helped me see how important voting is. This article made me want to become more educated and to always vote from here on out!
The topic discussed in this article I have seen and heard this taking place. Many people around my age do not use their right to vote. It is sad to think that this right that women fought for and how special it is and people neglect it. Many years ago women would have loved to have a say and vote, they fought to have the right. Now all women have the right to vote and many still don’t. They don’t realize how important this freedom is that we have to be able to voice our opinions.
The importance of a vote is not only shown in who gets elected, but also in the respect shown for our past. women fought for the right to vote, and the got it. This in itself is a win, but it isn’t the end. I recently watched a movie about Ruth Bader Ginsburg titled “on the basis of sex”, this movie showed her fighting against discrimination of all people based on sex and sexual stereotypes. It is incredibly important for people to understand that women are still actively fighting for their rights. Just because the battle was won does not mean the war is over.
The importance of a vote is not only shown in who gets elected, but also in the respect shown for our past. women fought for the right to vote, and the got it. This in itself is a win, but it isn’t the end. It is incredibly important for people to understand that women are still actively fighting for their rights. Just because the battle was won does not mean the war is over.
Arguably, voting is one of the most underrated rights that an American citizen has. Voting is such a privilege, but people seem to not understand that. It’s consistently taken for granted in every election, and it’s a disservice to the men and women from all walks of life who fought for women to have the right to vote. Every vote does matter, no matter what anyone may think. Go out and exercise your RIGHT to vote!!
After reading the article, and the responses, I have to definitely say that I agree with everyone when they say that present-day youth take advantage of voting. I also think that in school, we are told that we should vote and we are told that it is important but we aren’t given the resources to do so. By this, I mean that, at least where I went to school, we weren’t encouraged to watch debates and we never talked “hot issues” and what different sides of the issue were. Since I graduated high school, I have been more involved with politics and more up to date with elections.
Susan B. Anthony once said “There will never be complete equality until women themselves help to make the laws and elect the lawmakers”. What these young females do not understand is that currently, there are males making laws that obtain to women and women’s bodies. Women not only need to run for more political roles but, also need to get out and vote to put those women in office. As of February of 2019 there were six females that had officially announced their run for presidential candidacy. The next presidential race might be the one where the women make their mark in history and have a huge amount of women voters.