Ratification of the 19th Amendment

First introduced in Congress in 1878, passage and ratification of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was an arduous 41-year process.

June 4, 1919

On June 4, 1919 the Women's Suffrage Amendment finally gained passage by the required super-majorities in both the U.S. House and Senate. It then went out to the individual states for ratification. America had 48 states at the time. 36 states were needed for ratification.

Order of Ratification

June 10, 1919: Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan June 16, 1919: Kansas, Ohio, New YorkJune 24, 1919: Pennsylvania June 25, 1919: MassachusettsJune 28, 1919: TexasJuly 2, 1919: IowaJuly 3, 1919: Missouri REJECTED: July 24, 1919 Georgia July 28, 1919: Arkansas August 2, 1919: Montana, Nebraska September 8, 1919: Minnesota September 10, 1919: New Hampshire REJECTED: September 22, 1919 Alabama September 30, 1919: Utah November 1, 1919: California November 5, 1919: Maine December 1, 1919: North Dakota December 4, 1919: South Dakota December 14, 1919: Colorado January 6, 1920: Kentucky & Rhode Island January 13, 1920: Oregon January 16, 1920: Indiana January 27, 1920: Wyoming REJECTED: January 28, 1920 South Carolina February 7, 1920: Nevada February 9, 1920: New Jersey February 11, 1920: Idaho February 12, 1920: Arizona REJECTED: February 12, 1920 VirginiaFebruary 21, 1920: New Mexico REJECTED: February 24, 1920 Maryland February 28, 1920: Oklahoma March 10, 1920: West Virginia March 22, 1920: Washington REJECTED: March 31, 1920 MississippiREJECTED: June 2, 1920 DelawareREJECTED: July 1, 1920 Louisiana It all came down to Tennessee, where ratification passed by ONE vote: August 18, 1920: Tennessee

August 26, 1920

After a number of legal challenges, the 19th Amendment was officially signed into the Constitution by Secretary of State Colby during the early hours of Thursday, August 26, 1920.
First in the Nation Suffrage Celebration
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