Answers to Go

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Q. What and when is National Women’s Equality Day?

A. National Women’s Equality Day is celebrated every Aug. 26. It commemorates the passage of women’s suffrage in the United States and reminds us of the hurdles overcome by the valiant individuals who faced violence, ignorance and discrimination to propel the women’s movement forward.

In 1848, the first solid rumblings of women’s suffrage were heard. It was at the Seneca Falls convention that suffrage, the right to vote, was discussed in earnest. At that convention, despite objections from some of its organizers, a resolution was passed that called for voting rights for women. After the Seneca Falls convention, women began to fight for a Constitutional amendment that would give them the right to vote. Finally, in 1878 suffragists succeeded in having their amendment introduced in Congress. But congressmen weren’t interested. Year after year, the amendment was introduced, but to no avail. The women’s suffrage movement lost momentum and after the Civil War was split between those who supported and those who did not support votes for African American women. Some women focused on voting rights in their individual states while others said only a constitutional amendment would do. In 1890, the two competing women’s suffrage groups merged, forming the National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA) which was primarily led by Susan B. Anthony. Later, the Women’s Christian Temperance Union, the largest women’s organization in the country, joined with NAWSA. However, there was still division in the ranks. As time progressed, some women became more militant and even landed in jail. Finally, in 1919, Congress passed the amendment. However, because a Constitutional amendment requires approval from two-thirds of the states, 36 of them had to ratify the 19th Amendment before its passage. This began a state to state battle for passage. The deciding vote was in the Tennessee legislature and came from Harry T. Burn, a young state representative whose mother’s plea to support the amendment became a deciding factor in his vote (which he switched at the last minute).

In 1973, prompted by Rep. Bella Abzug, Congress designated Aug. 26 Women’s Equality Day in order to commemorate women’s suffrage and the 19th Amendment, which 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. Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.”

The women’s movement continues on. On the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, former US president Barack Obama celebrated National Women’s Equality Day by issuing the following:

Nearly one century ago, with boundless courage and relentless commitment, dedicated women who had marched, advocated, and organized for the right to cast a vote finally saw their efforts rewarded on Aug. 26, 1920, when the 19th Amendment was certified and the right to vote was secured. In the decades that followed, that precious right has bolstered generations of women and empowered them to stand up, speak out, and steer the country they love in a more equal direction.

For more information about women’s voting rights, check out the following books and DVDs at the library:

• “Suffrage: women's long battle for the vote” by Ellen Dubois

• “She votes: how U.S. women won suffrage, and what happened next” by Bridget Quinn

• “The woman's hour: the great fight to win the vote” by Weiss, Elaine

• “Not for ourselves alone: the story of Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony: an illustrated history” by Ward, Geoffrey C.

• “You want women to vote, Lizzie Stanton?” by Jean Fritz (Juvenile)

• ”I could do that! Esther Morris gets women the vote” by White, Linda (Juvenile)

• “Not for ourselves alone: the story of Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony”

• “One woman, one vote” [DVD]

Suzanne Sanders is the new columnist for the library. She is the Community Services Manager for the San Marcos Public Library and came from the Austin Public Library in 2015 after having served there as a librarian for over 20 years. She gratefully accepts your questions for this column.