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.
During this intense period in our country's history, when ugly voices of intolerance appear to be drowning out more tolerant ones, when cries against big, bad, federal government wash out reasoned debate and, even, history, we should all take a moment and remember the women who fought long and hard for the vote -- who fought against those who believed it was up to the STATES (ahem) to decide this issue -- who knew that it was only a federal government, made up of the people, by the people and for the people that could ensure this right. There's a lot of subtext there, but I'm going to be grateful, today, for the following women (and to Gretchen at Second Blooming for these terrific photos!). I also wonder if the divisive social issues of the day -- immigration reform, homosexual marriage, etc. -- will one day be relegated to history in the same way that we look on the time when women couldn't vote. What the heck? seems far more appropriate than well, we certainly kept them in their place, didn't we?
Lucretia Mott
Elizabeth Cady Stanton
Susan B. Anthony
Carrie Chapman Catt
Lucy Burns
Dora Lewis
Alice Paul
Pauline Adams
Helena Hill Weed
Julia Ward Howe
