The 19th Amendment The nineteenth amendment was an enormous step in history. It gave women the right to vote. For many years, women had been fighting for this. This amendment drastically changed the lives of Americans and others. It all started in 1848. In this year, the Women’s Suffrage Movement was organized. Some of the key leaders of this movement were Elizabeth Stanton, Lucretia Mott, and Susan Anthony. These three women, with the help of many others, were vital in swaying the public’s view on women’s right to vote and have a say in the nation. During the nineteenth century, women organized, petitioned, lectured, marched, rioted, and practiced civil disobedience in order to get freedom. The nineteenth amendment was first introduced in 1878 and was ratified on August 18, 1920. This means that many of the women who started this movement did not live to see it passed. By 1916, most of the major suffrage organizations were fighting for women’s rights. Even President Wilson, eventually, supported the amendment. After the passing of the amendment, women still fought for equality in all social, political, and economic areas. This movement changed the whole energy of America. The nineteenth amendment gave half the population of America the right to vote and the right to hold public offices. This meant women finally had a voice, it was not just men making all the decisions. This was huge to have women in public offices. Offices once made up entirely of men were being infiltrated with women. It changed the whole dynamic of the working life. Not only did it change America, but it also affected other nations. The United Nations started to examine the treatment of women. Eventually, the United Nations created the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women in 1979. The document required the countries that signed to end gender discrimination in their legal system To many, this amendment was one of the greatest and most
