Remembering August 18, 1920 ...

[BlueMTexpat]

The 19th amendment that gave women the right to vote, 90 years on
Celebrating 90 years since the ratification of the 19th amendment guaranteeing American women the right to vote

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/richard-adams-blog/2010/aug/18/19th-amendment-women-right-to-vote-90-years

The article describes the last-minute decision rationale of one Tennessee representative to vote for ratification - after he had previously opposed it - so that TN was became the final state required for ratification of the 19th Amendment. It's a good read.

But what I had not realized was just how ingrained opposition to the amendment remained for so many years later:

"The 19th amendment would probably have been ratified a few weeks later, when Connecticut also voted in favour. But other states remained bitterly opposed: Mississippi did not ratify the 19th amendment until 1984."

Telling, isn't it?

[renate]

1. a really wonderful column about this by Gail Collins:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/14/opinion/14collins.html?ref=columnists

[BlueMTexpat]

4. Thanks for that link.

And I love the update in that article that mentions the late great Jeannette Rankin from Montana, who was greatly instumental in Montana's passage of women's suffrage.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeannette_Rankin

Rankin may not have voted "Yes" to enter WWII - for which she has been endlessly castigated. But she was true to her anti-war principles to the end. There was no question but that the war resolution would pass.

[no_hypocrisy]

2. That lone Tennessee rep voted in favor of the Amendment for his mother's sake.

Never discredit mothers.

[Lifelong Protester]

3. Hey! A Kick for this one!!

And who was the guy who cast the deciding vote? And was that in Tennessee?

[BlueMTexpat]

5. Thanks for the kick.

His name was Harry Burn - and he was persuaded to change his vote by his mother. And yes, it was in TN.