Pocket worthyStories to fuel your mind

How Women Won the Vote: A 19th Amendment Reading List

Explore the fascinating history and complicated legacy of this democratic milestone.

Alex Dalenberg

Read when you’ve got time to spare.

American democracy is a lot younger than it looks. Over 100 years ago, on August 18, 1920, the 19th Amendment was ratified, enshrining women’s right to vote in the U.S. Constitution. While women’s suffrage was hard won, the battle for the ballot would continue for decades, especially for Black and Indigenous women. This collection explores the history and impact of that century-old victory, and the complicated legacy that still informs today.

Image by Jupiterimages/Getty Images

What the First Women Voters Experienced When Registering for the 1920 Election

The process varied by state, with some making accommodations for the new voting bloc and others creating additional obstacles.

The Imperfect, Unfinished Work of Women’s Suffrage

A century after the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment, it’s worth remembering why suffragists had to fight so hard, and who was fighting against them.

A history of the US women’s suffrage movement in five objects

The material history of the movement reveals many of its priorities and problems, and its relevance to the persisting struggles for equal rights today.

Susan B. Anthony Fought for Women’s Suffrage in the Face of Ridicule

This leading suffragist devoted her life to the movement but never got to vote—legally at least.

The US Suffragette Movement Tried to Leave Out Black Women. They Showed Up Anyway

Racism and sexism were bound together in the fight to vote—and Black women made it clear they would never cede the question of their voting rights to others.

Why Thousands of Women Fought Against the Right to Vote

The anti-suffragist women would become a nationwide force that would influence later generations of conservative women. And today, a century after women gained the right to vote, echoes of their message remain.

How the Devastating 1918 Flu Pandemic Helped Advance US Women’s Rights

The aftermath of the 1918 flu pandemic led to unexpected social changes, opened up new opportunities for women and irreversibly transformed life in the United States.

The Very Queer History of the Suffrage Movement

“Would you rather have a vote than a husband?”

In 1920, Native Women Sought the Vote. Here’s What’s Next.

The 19th Amendment did not bring the right to vote to all Native women, but two experts in a conversation said it did usher in the possibility of change.

Celebrate Women’s Suffrage on an Epic, Self-Guided Road Trip

On the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment, trace the route of the national women’s suffrage movement and stand in the spots where history happened.

The Unfinished Business of Women’s Suffrage

The women who remain locked out of the right to vote are the fractured legacy of a fractured movement.