Rightfully Hers: American Women and the Vote

In celebration of the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, the National Archives launched a nationwide initiative and major exhibition that explored the generations-long fight for universal woman suffrage. Despite decades of marches, petitions, and public debate to enshrine a woman’s right to vote in the Constitution, the 19th Amendment – while an enormous milestone – did not grant voting rights for all. The challenges of its passage reverberate to the ongoing fight for gender equity today.

As the steward of our nation’s memory, we told the story of the 19th Amendment through a special exhibition in Washington, DC, free public programming, a national traveling exhibition, classroom displays (distributed to nearly 1,600 schools and libraries), educational offerings (for teachers and students, both off and on-line) and digitization of women’s records. Several initiative components specifically shined a spotlight on voting as a civic duty – from revealing the often dire consequences faced by non-voting populations to providing the opportunity to register to vote directly from our Museum.  A non-partisan agency, we encourage all to be “election-ready” and exercise their right to vote.

Dates: Friday, May 10, 2019 – Sunday, April 10, 2022

Location: Lawrence F. O’Brien Gallery, National Archives Museum, Washington, DC