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Voting gives citizens the opportunity to express their opinions, follow their principles, and have an impact on the issues that affect their lives. However, the right to vote, known as suffrage, has not always been available to everyone. In the United States, women's suffrage became a reality only about a century ago.
Today, all citizens over the age of 18 have the right to vote, and many consider it the norm. Women’s participation in elections was once rare, and some dedicated their lives to fighting for that right. When the 19th Amendment was ratified in 1920, all men and women were given the right to vote, according to Insights on Law and Society. Until that time, American women were considered secondary to men, forced to obey laws they could neither support nor challenge.
Women's position in society was so entrenched that many simply accepted their fate, while others fought for their own rights, according to NPR's History Unit. Despite the many restrictions, there were those who believed they could make a difference. This is the story of those who fought tirelessly for equality when the odds were stacked against them. These people gave women a future where they could have a voice and rights that were previously denied them.
July 19-20, 1848: First Congress.
Sourse: www.livescience.com
