The National Archives commemorates the centennial of the 19th Amendment’s ratification with Rightfully Hers: American Women and the Vote

Discover the untold stories of the suffragists behind the movement for women’s voting rights through National Archives records, educational materials and downloadable posters, a virtual exhibit, and a curator-led online tour.

The exhibit is can also be found as part of Google Arts & Culture. Learn more about the exhibit at your own speed and find out how women won the right to vote, what voting rights struggles persist, and much more.

DOCSTEACH

Throughout the initiative, educational materials for students and teachers will be made available, including specialized teaching activities for school visits in DC, distance learning programs for high school students and teachers, and professional development webinars for educators. Curated lesson plans and curriculum will be disseminated through partners and on the National Archives’ DocsTeach.org.

VIRTUAL PROGRAMS

The Suffragist Playbook: Your Guide to Changing the World

19: The Musical

19th Amendment Family Program

Vanguard: How Black Women Broke Barriers

Ida B. Wells Program & Discussion

100 Years Later: Women in Charge of the Ballot Box

THE EXHIBIT

FEATURED RECORDS

Nineteenth Amendment, June 4, 1919
Gendered “Voting Machine” Patent, August 10, 1910
Suffragettes bonfire and posters at the White House, Washington, D.C. , 1918
Universal Suffrage Petition, January 29, 1866
Postcard from the Georgia Association Opposed to Woman’s Suffrage
“The Lady and the Tiger” political cartoon by Clifford Berryman, November 7, 1917


If women want any rights more than they’s got, why don’t they just take them, and not be talking about it.
-Sojourner Truth

TRAVELING EXHIBITION

One Half of the People: Advancing Equality for Women

One Half of the People is a nationwide traveling exhibition exploring the stories of women’s struggles to achieve full citizenship

FEATURED RECORDS

Political cartoonist Clifford Berryman portrays the Mississippi rejection as an April Fool’s joke on supporters for woman suffrage.
Mark-up copy of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, June 20, 1963
Torch relay from Seneca Falls, New York to Houston, Texas, 1977
Willa Beatrice Brown serves her country by training pilots for the U.S. Army Air Forces,, CA, 1942
Mission Specialist Ellen Ochoa playing a flute, 1993.


The best protection any woman can have … is courage.

-Elizabeth Cady Stanton

After Congress passed the 19th Amendment, it needed ratification from three-fourths of the states. Follow along as we commemorate each state’s ratification story and take you through the road to ratification. 

CLASSROOM RESOURCES

This pop-up display contains simple messages exploring the sometimes complex history of the 19th Amendment’s ratification, women’s voting rights before and after the 19th amendment, and its impact today. You can download high-resolution poster and flyer versions here:

Rightfully Hers Printable Flyer Page 1 (12.6 MB)
Rightfully Hers Printable Flyer Page 2 (2.6 MB)
Rightfully Hers Printable Flyer Page 3 (11.3 MB)
Rightfully Hers Printable Flyer Page 4 (11.1 MB)
Rightfully Hers Pop-up Poster Page 1 (45 MB)
Rightfully Hers Pop-up Poster Page 2 (12 MB)
Rightfully Hers Pop-up Poster Page 3 (19 MB)
Rightfully Hers Pop-up Poster Page 4 (13 MB)

YOUTH ART COMPETITION

We invited students in grades 4, 5 and 6 to compete in our Rightfully Yours Youth Art Competition. Students were asked to create an original piece of artwork that answers the question: “What does the 100th anniversary of women winning the right to vote mean to you and your community?”


I never doubted that equal rights was the right direction. Most reforms, most problems are complicated. But to me, there is nothing complicated about ordinary equality.
-Alice Paul

THE RIGHTFULLY HERS INITIATIVE IS PRESENTED IN PART BY

AT&T

Ford Motor Company Fund

Facebook

Google

HISTORY®

Jacqueline B. Mars

Barbara Lee Family Foundation Fund at the Boston Foundation

ADDITIONAL SUPPORT FOR NATIONAL OUTREACH AND PROGRAMS PROVIDED BY

Denise Gwyn Ferguson

Maggie and Robert Boroujerdi

BMO Financial Group

Hearst Foundations

Maris S. Cuneo Foundation

FedEx

Bernstein Family Foundation

The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation / Ambassador Fay Hartog-Levin (Ret.)

The Harnisch Foundation