Women's Equality Day
August 26
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A late 19th-century photograph of Elizabeth Cady Stanton (left) and Susan B. Anthony. Their intellectual and organizational partnership dominated the suffrage movement until their deaths in the early 1900s. |
On August 26, 1920, the 19th Amendment granting women the right to vote was certified as part of the U.S. Constitution. Referred to as the Susan B. Anthony Amendment, it states, "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."The U.S. Congress designated August 26 as "Women's Equality Day" in 1971 to honor women's continuing efforts toward equality.
Women's Suffrage/Equality Day Links
Women's Rights National Historical Park
This park commemorates women's struggle for equal rights, and the first Women's Rights Convention, held at the Wesleyan Chapel in Seneca Falls, NY on July 19 & 20, 1848. Now you can visit their Online Visitors Center.
PBS Resource Website: "Not For Ourselves Alone"
Resources, historical documents, lesson plans and more related to the women's suffrage movement. The video presents the story of two of our century's most celebrated pioneers...Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony.
National Museum of Women's History
Songs, documents, memorabilia of the suffragist movement, 1848-1921. RealAudio versions of "I Will Speak My Mind If I Die For It," "Taxation Tyranny," ""Giving the Ballot to the Mothers," "Yellow Ribbon," and "Suffrage Flag."
A History of the Women's Suffrage Movement, by Marjorie Spruill Wheeler
This five-page article covers the origins of the movement, and explores various suffrage strategies, including suffrage and temperance, race issues, progressivism and more. Part of the PBS site for "One Woman, One Vote."
A History of the Women's Suffrage Movement, maintained by the Susan B Anthony Center at the University of Rochester.
Timeline of the Suffrage Movement http://www.suffragist.com/timeline.htm
Covers 1637 to 1920.
Even in stone, suffragettes cause a stir on Capitol Hill (CNN) http://www.cnn.com/US/9705/10/womens.statue/index.html
In 1921, the "Portrait Monument" - a 7 1/2 ton statue which captures the images of suffrage pioneers Lucretia Mott, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony - was placed in the Capital Rotunda with gala ceremony. Within two days, the statue was banished to a basement broom closet. Read about the fight to restore this monument to it's righful place in our capital.
National Women's History Project Visit this site to read the Presidential Proclamation and to order a "no fuss" celebration kit.
American Memory Collection Finder Search - Photos & prints of the women's suffrage movement, portraits of leaders, scripts of plays, etc. An easy to use search engine helps you find what you need by keyword. You might start with "Votes for Women" or "suffrage"
Failure Is Impossible - A brief play written in 1995 by Rosemary H. Knower to celebrate the 75th Anniversary. Based on eyewitness accounts and original documents.
Places Where Women Made History The National Park Service has developed a travel itinerary featuring 74 different properties from the National Register of Historic Places in New York and Massachusetts. The itinerary includes interactive maps, descriptions of each place's significance in women's history, photographs, information on public accessibility, essays on women's achievements in American history, and links to other pertinent Web sites.
Dr. Sally Roesch Wagner has extensively researched the connection between early feminists and Native Americans. You'll find information about her writings, lectures and performances at her site.
NARA Archival Information Locator (NAIL) NAIL is the working prototype for a future online catalog of holdings in Washington, DC, the regional archives, and the Presidential libraries. These resources include photographs and text documents, and some of the information they've digitized pertains to the Women's Suffrage Movement...for example, you can search by keyword to find the transcripts of Susan B Anthony's trial for illegal voting!
- To give you a sample, I've downloaded a copy of the 1865 Petition to Congress for Universal Suffrage.
Videos
These videos are widely available free through Library Interloan...just check with the interloan department of your public or school library.
Dreams of Equality National Park Series (28 minutes)
This video is shown in the visitor's center of the Women's Right's National Historic Park in Seneca Falls. It recreates the first Women's Rights Convention, and tells the story through the interactions between a sister and brother from 1848 to the 1860's. One of my favorites, and perfect for a luncheon or dinner program.
One Woman, One Vote PBS, 1995 (2 hours)
Highlights moments in seventy-two years of the suffrage movement, beginning with the first women's rights convention in 1848 and climaxing in passage of the Nineteenth Amendment in 1920. It is a thrilling story of women determinedly working generation after generation to win the rights of full American citizenship and of those women and men who fought against woman suffrage. Produced for the popular series, "The American Experience."
Not for Ourselves Alone PBS 1999 (3.5 hours) Available at Amazon.com
The story of two of our century's most celebrated pioneers...Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony. This is an outstanding presentation from Ken Burns. Also, visit the PBS website for related lesson plans and resources.
Feminist Majority Foundation’s Women’s History Month
Facts, Books and LinksNational Women’s History Project
Teaching Resources, Events, Links95/75
A commemoration of the 75th Anniversary of Women's Suffrage.
