Wednesday, August 18, 2010

VOTES FOR WOMEN

The 19th Amendment to the Constitution, giving women the right to vote, was ratified on 18 August 1920.

Tennessee was the state to cast the deciding vote for the passage of the amendment. 
That vote was hanging in the balance, with one twenty four year old man yet to vote.  This young man had previously stated his position against granting the vote, so no one was hopeful.  He surprisingly cast his deciding vote in favor of the amendment.

He later stated that he changed his vote because he found a note from his mother in his pocket.  The note said (paraphrase) do right by the ladies. 

The struggle for women's votes began officially at the Seneca Falls Convention in 1848.  During this long battle, women were imprisioned, force fed, ridiculed, beaten.............

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