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| Alice Paul and National Women's Party - August 18, 1920 |
We can put aside acrimony today toward those who might relegate women's role to the backseat of history and even desire to keep them there (ahem -- Ann Romney**) and just revel in the extraordinary achievement of those women who protested, fought, starved themselves and ultimately won the right to vote. On August 18th, 1920, Congress ratified the 19th Amendment. Thank you, ladies.
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.
**The article referenced was satire. I'm taking the liberty, though, of imagining that Ann would have had utter disdain for anyone as radical as a suffragette.
Or as they sing in "Mary Poppins": "Well done, sister suffragette!"
ReplyDeleteWomen rock and we keep the world going. We seem to forget that at times:)
ReplyDeleteThanks for this post -- we need to remember our history and know that women put their very lives on the line for our freedoms!
ReplyDeleteAmendment # 28: Congress shall make every law to simplify word verification systems that olde 64 year old men with trifocals can decipher on the first attempt! My brain is ok, I just can't see for shit!
ReplyDeleteI can't even imagine how life was, let alone have lived during that time. Indeed we have come a long way.
ReplyDeleteLove the old photo to Elizabeth.
I'm struggling to have only gratitude for the fact that these women sacrificed so much and gained so much on our behalf. The nastiness that keeps creeping in is the fact that it doesn't feel like we've come very far since then and that was a hell of a long time ago...
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