Women's Equality

According to the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), beginning in the mid-19th century, several generations of woman suffrage supporters lectured, wrote, marched, lobbied, and practiced civil disobedience to achieve what many Americans considered a radical change in the U.S. Constitution. Militant suffragists used tactics such as parades, silent vigils, and hunger strikes.

Signed into law on August 26, 1920, the U.S. Constitution's 19th Amendment guarantees American women the right to vote. It was the culmination of a 72-year-long civil rights movement, which originated at the world's first women's rights convention. On August 26 each year, the United States celebrates this milestone through Women's Equality Day.