Thursday marks 90 years for women voters

Thursday marks 90 years since women were granted the right to vote.

The 19th Amendment to the Constitution states, “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.”

Achieving this milestone proved a lengthy battle.

On January 9, 1918, President Woodrow Wilson announced his support of the amendment. The House of Representatives passed the amendment, but the Senate refused even to debate it until October, when it failed by three votes.

The issue came up for re-election in the fall, and on May 21, 1919, the House of Representatives passed the amendment by a vote of 304 to 89, and the Senate passed it June 4 by a vote of 56 to 25, according to a document by the National Archives and Records Administration.

The amendment became part of the Constitution on August 26, 1920, after Tennessee ratified it, being the 36th state to do so.

IU women reflect on the anniversary as a pivotal time in America’s society and a right that won’t be taken for granted.

Sabrina Sullenberger, IU associate professor of social work, said she is grateful for the women who overcame tremendous struggles so future generations of women could vote.

“I think women 90 or 100 years ago worked in ways unimaginable. It’s a gift,” Sullenberger said. “To think back at a time when it wasn’t a legality is hard to imagine. It’s humbling.”

Senior Megan Donlin, a telecommunications major, said she respects women’s intelligence and accomplishments 90 years ago.

“These women who made voting possible were brilliant,” Donlin said. “They were intelligent in the sciences with inventive ideas and didn’t get the credit they deserved.”
Donlin said she will never take her voting rights for granted.

“Voting as a woman and in general is important to society,” she said. “It’s my country, and it’s my right.”

– Campus editor Kristina Hunter contributed to this report.