Join us for webinars, online student programs, and more to commemorate the centennial of the 19th Amendment. Today’s post comes from education specialist Katie Munn.
“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 19th Amendment of the United States Constitution
This August marks the centennial of the 19th Amendment. Ratified on August 18, 1920, this amendment secured the right to vote for some, but not all, women in the United States.
At the National Archives, we’re commemorating this anniversary through education and public programs, online exhibits, a special social media campaign, and more. We’ll be sharing the stories of the fight for women’s voting rights leading up to and beyond the ratification of the 19th Amendment through the historical records in our holdings.
Check out some of the highlights below or visit archives.gov/women to see the full schedule of events!
Live Programs and Webinars
Teaching the 19th Amendment Professional Development Webinar
August 18, 2020 at 12 p.m. ET
Register today
Summer Student Programs with the Presidential Primary Sources Project
- August 18, 2020 at 2 p.m. ET: American Women and the Vote, Grades 3-6
- August 25, 2020 at 2 p.m. ET: Amendments to the Constitution: You Do the Math, Grades 6-12
Find full program descriptions and sign up for student programs.
Program links will be provided following registration. Sessions will also be live-streamed on Facebook from the Presidential Primary Sources Project.
19th Amendment Family Program with American Historical Theatre
Wednesday, August 26, 2020 at 1 p.m. ET
Register here
Join Dorothy Dougherty, programs director at the National Archives at New York City, as she moderates discussions with historical reenactors portraying suffragists Susan B. Anthony, Alice Paul, and Sojourner Truth. Each woman will speak on her life, times, and involvement in the struggle for equality and justice.
Vanguard: How Black Women Broke Barriers
Wednesday, August 26, 2020 at 6 p.m. ET
Register here
Join a book lecture with Dr. Martha S. Jones, Society of Black Alumni Presidential Scholar and Professor of History at Johns Hopkins University, as she discusses her forthcoming book, Vanguard How Black Women Broke Barriers, Won the Vote, and Insisted on Equality for All. The discussion will be moderated by A’Lelia Bundles, American journalist, news producer, author, and National Archives Foundation Board Member.
Online Teaching Tools
In addition to these special programs you can always find primary sources and document-based teaching activities on our Women’s Rights page on DocsTeach, the online tool for teaching with documents from the National Archives.
New Distance Learning Programs for Students
We’re also introducing a new distance learning program for grades 3–12, Rightfully Hers: American Women and the Vote.
Guiding Question: How can people influence the government?
Using the founding documents of the United States and historical records of the National Archives, students will determine how and why women fought for the right to vote. Students will explore the challenges suffragists faced and discover why the fight for women’s voting rights persisted even after the ratification of the 19th Amendment.
Scheduling Details
- Available Tuesdays-Thursdays
- Must be scheduled at least two weeks in advance
- For groups of 10 or more students
- Multiple sites can connect at the same time
Visit our distance learning page to request a date and check out our other distance learning offerings!
Social Media & Online Exhibits
On social media we’re counting down to the 100th Anniversary of the 19th Amendment using #19SuffrageStories with the Library of Congress and Smithsonian. Learn more.
You can explore even more suffrage stories in our online exhibition, Rightfully Hers: American Women and the Vote.
Rightfully Hers is made possible in part by the National Archives Foundation through the generous support of Unilever, Pivotal Ventures, Carl M. Freeman Foundation in honor of Virginia Allen Freeman, AARP, AT&T, Ford Motor Company Fund, Facebook, Barbara Lee Family Foundation Fund at the Boston Foundation, Google, HISTORY®, and Jacqueline B. Mars. Additional support for National Outreach and Programs provided by Denise Gwyn Ferguson, Maggie and Robert Boroujerdi, BMO Financial Group, The Hearst Foundations, Maris S. Cuneo Foundation, FedEx, Bernstein Family Foundation, and The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation/Ambassador Fay-Hartog Levin (Ret.).
Few corners of the United States were untouched by suffrage activism. Ware’s deeply moving stories provide a fresh account of one of the most significant moments of political mobilization in American history. The dramatic, often joyous experiences of these women resonate powerfully today, as a new generation of young women demands to be heard.