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Women gained voting rights 90 years ago

Posted 11/5/10

To the Editor: I am writing today to highlight the event that took place on August 18, 1920. The 19th Amendment was ratified 90 years ago. The Amendment reads: “The right of citizens of the United …

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Women gained voting rights 90 years ago

Posted

To the Editor:

I am writing today to highlight the event that took place on August 18, 1920. The 19th Amendment was ratified 90 years ago.

The Amendment reads: “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. The Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.

Women organized and petitioned to gain the right to vote beginning in the 1800s. They used any means available to pursue their goal. They paraded, wrote articles, lectured, ran silent vigils, and hunger strikes. These women were often heckled and even jailed.

Susan Brownell Anthony (1820-1906) was a prominent leader in American civil rights, and traveled throughout the United State and Europe giving speeches on women’s rights for over 45 years.

The Constitution, Bill of Rights, and the additional Amendments define us. Celebrate 90 years of legalized voting by women.

Sally W. Hartman

Rensselaer Falls