The Nineteenth Amendment was ratified on August 18, 1920, giving women constitutional protection for voting rights.
The amendment states that the right to vote cannot be denied by the United States or any state on the basis of sex. Congress approved the proposal in 1919, but it required ratification by three-fourths of the states. Tennessee became the decisive thirty-sixth state to ratify it on August 18, 1920.
The amendment was the result of decades of organizing by suffragists, including Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Ida B. Wells, Alice Paul, and many others. It did not instantly create equal access to the ballot for every woman. Many women of color continued to face discriminatory state laws, intimidation, violence, and administrative barriers, especially in the South.
The amendment’s ratification was a major constitutional milestone, but later federal legislation and court decisions were also needed to strengthen voting protections.