19th Amendment

Here is a picture of the official 19th Amendment document:

The 19th Amendment guarantees all American women the right to vote. The Woman's Suffrage Act was passed by Congress on June 4, 1919. Then ratified August 18, 1920.

"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." (19th Amendment)

According to Essortment.com, the woman's suffrage movement begun in July 1848 in Seneca Falls, New York with the first convention held by Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott with the topic of women's rights and their right to vote. Years later, suffragists Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton formed an organization known as the National Woman Suffrage Association or NWSA. After the Civil War, another organization was formed by Lucy Stone, Julia Ward Howe, and Thomas Wentworth Higginson which was called the American Women Suffrage Association (AWSA).  In 1890, the two organizations combined principles and ideas to become the National American Women Suffrage Association but more commonly called NAWSA. This newly formed organization's first president was Elizabeth Cady Stanton. NAWSA can be seen in the film, Iron Jawed Angels, in which case NAWSA is led by Anna Howard Shaw (Lois Smith) and Carrie Chapman Catt (Anjelica Huston).

Alice Paul, a Quaker, began her studies at the University of Pennsylvania when she joined NAWSA.  She then was quickly appointed to head of the Congressional Committee to work on a federal amendment.  With the help of friends Lucy Burns and Crystal Eastman, she organized a parade to walk up Pennsylvania Avenue at the time of President Wilson's inauguration. Carrie Chapman Catt, the new president of NAWSA, focused more on state campaigns of women's suffrage leading to the separation between Alice Paul and NAWSA.  Alice Paul then created the National Woman's Party (NWP). This new party formed "Silent Sentinels," meaning, a group of women would stand with banners outside of the White House, specifically blaming Woodrow Wilson for depriving women of the right to vote.  These women even picketed during the beginning of World War I in 1917, which led to disruption in front of the White House.  Police came and arrested the Paul and her fellow suffragists.  Paul demanded they be treated as political prisoners and staged hunger strikes.  In the film, only Alice Paul is force fed, but according to alicepaul.org, Paul and other suffragists were force fed. News of these imprisoned suffragists gained more publicity and more support for the women's movement, Paul was soon to be released. Later in 1917, President Wilson changed his views to supporting the women's suffrage movement.

In 1919, both the House and Senate passed the Amendment. Only three-fourths of the states needed to ratify the amendment. Tennessee was the deciding state in making the 19th Amendment become law. The fate of the amendment landed on the shoulders of Harry Burn, 24 years of age and the youngest member of the Tennessee assembly.  He came in with the choice of voting against the amendment, but when a telegram from his mother came asking him to support women's suffrage he changed his vote to "yes." August 18, 1920 was the day Harry Burn said "yes" to the amendment, ratifying the 19th Amendment of the United States.  Six days after, the amendment was certified and women had gained the right to vote.

19th Amendment right:

http://www.archives.gov/historical-docs/document.html?doc=13&title.raw=19th%20Amendment%20to%20the%20U.S.%20Constitution:%20Women's%20Right%20to%20Vote

Force Feeding:

"Alice Paul: Feminist, Suffragist, and Political Strategist." alicepaul.org. Alice Paul Institute, n.d. Web. 26 Nov. 2012 http://alicepaul.org/alicep2.htm

19^th Amendment Picture:

http://www.archives.gov/global-pages/larger-image.html?i=/historical-docs/doc-content/images/19th-amendment-l.jpg&c=/historical-docs/doc-content/images/19th-amendment.caption.html

Women's Movement beginning:

"History Of 19Th Amendment."Essortment Articles: Free Online Articles on Health, Science, Education & More.... N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Nov. 2012. <http://www.essortment.com/history-19th-amendment-21116.html>.