Hi friend,

Welcome to the final installment in our first educational series from Voting Rights Fund (VRF). As a national leader in the fight for voting rights, VRF is committed to promoting voter access, safeguarding election integrity, and protecting the fundamental right to vote. We proudly endorse and support candidates who share our democratic values, which include our commitment to protecting the rights of women.

This edition highlights the powerful history of Women’s Suffrage in the United States, a story of determination, resilience, and activism that helped shape the course of American democracy. After 72 years of organized struggle, women won the right to vote with the ratification of the 19th Amendment. Today marks the 105th anniversary of that historic milestone, and we are honored to celebrate the legacy of the suffragists who made it possible.

A Brief History of Women’s Suffrage 

In the years following the Civil War, the United States ratified the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments to restore equality under the law and expand the electorate yet women were notably excluded. While African American men gained the legal right to vote, women continued to be denied access to the ballot box. It should be noted that, despite being legally able to vote, African American men were often discriminated against and disenfranchised in the reconstruction era.

Champions such as Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton emerged to fight this injustice. They founded the National Woman Suffrage Association (NWSA), one of the first major organizations advocating for women’s voting rights. Their efforts, including lobbying, education campaigns, and public speaking, captured national attention. Stanton famously co-organized the Seneca Falls Convention, where activists drafted the Declaration of Sentiments, echoing the Declaration of Independence but demanding equality for women.

Lucy Stone, founder of the American Woman Suffrage Association (AWSA), helped mobilize broad public support through publications, petitions, and protest. Eventually, the NWSA and AWSA merged to form the National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA), a powerhouse of national advocacy.

Alongside NAWSA, the National Woman’s Party (NWP) led by Alice Paul and others took a more confrontational approach, organizing public demonstrations, lobbying campaigns, and high-profile protests. Together, these organizations applied relentless pressure on lawmakers, picketing outside the White House and targeting President Woodrow Wilson with public messaging directly.

       ¹
Thanks to decades of grassroots and national advocacy, the suffragists secured the passage and ratification of the 19th Amendment in 1920, giving women the right to vote nationwide.
¹ https://www.loc.gov/item/mnwp000289

“Ain’t I a Woman Too?” – The Exclusion of Black Women

While the Suffrage movement broke barriers, it also revealed enduring divisions. African American women, despite their leadership in abolition and civil rights, were often excluded from major suffrage organizations. Leaders like Sojourner Truth challenged this exclusion directly in her iconic speech, “Ain’t I a Woman?”, which called attention to the double discrimination faced by Black women.

The National Association of Colored Women (NACW), founded by Ida B. Wells, Harriet Tubman, Nannie Helen Burroughs, and others, fought for full enfranchisement and racial justice. These women formed their own coalitions and strategies, working in parallel with, and sometimes in tension with, white suffrage leaders.

Although Black women were not fully enfranchised until the Voting Rights Act of 1965, their activism laid essential groundwork and helped strengthen the broader movement for civil and voting rights.

Ratifying the 19th Amendment

After years of advocacy and a failed attempt in 1918, the 19th Amendment was finally ratified on August 18, 1920, marking a pivotal step toward gender equality. Even before they could legally vote, some women were already serving in public office, like Jeannette Rankin of Montana, the first woman elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, who cast votes in Congress before being able to vote for herself at the ballot box.

Since then, women have become an increasingly powerful force in American politics. Today:

— Women register to vote at higher rates than men.

— Women turn out to vote at higher rates across most demographics.

— Women are more likely to serve as election workers and administrators.

— Since 1980, the number of women serving in state legislatures has steadily increased.

Currently, states like Nevada, New Mexico, and Colorado lead the nation in electing women to legislative office, reflecting the growing role of women in shaping U.S. democracy.²

2 https://cawp.rutgers.edu/facts/levels-office/state-legislature/women-state-legislatures-2025

Protecting Women’s Voting Rights Today

The story of the suffrage movement is a reminder that representation must be fought for and preserved. While generally considered a more permanently entrenched set of rights, women’s right to vote is still facing gradual erosion.

The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, recently passed by the House and pending in the Senate, has potential to disenfranchise female voters. Critics warn that its requirements could disenfranchise women who have changed their last names after marriage or divorce. Voting Rights Fund does not support the SAVE Act, nor do we endorse its supporters.

This legislation undermines the hard-won progress made by generations of women and is part of a larger retrenchment of voting rights across the political spectrum. VRF remains vigilant and committed to defending every eligible voter’s right to access the ballot, free from bureaucratic barriers or discriminatory intent.

The women who led the suffrage movement changed history by demanding a voice in the democratic process, even when they were denied every platform of power. Their courage reminds us that democracy requires participation, representation, and constant vigilance.

As we mark over a century since the ratification of the 19th Amendment, we reflect on the achievements of those who came before us and recommit to protecting those rights today. At Voting Rights Fund, we are proud to celebrate this milestone and to support champions working to pass the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, which will strengthen protections for all voters.

To learn more or support our work, please visit our website or consider making a contribution today.

With gratitude,
Voting Rights Fund Team

(P.S. If you can, please give a contribution to support our year-round work to elect voting rights leaders committed to expanding access to the ballot »)

Paid for by Voting Rights Fund and not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee