Our right to vote is a cornerstone of American freedom – a freedom that generations of Americans fought for over centuries.
On Aug. 26, 1920, the nationwide right for women to vote was enshrined into the U.S. Constitution through the 19th Amendment, but the fight for women’s suffrage started long before then.
In 1919, Texas women stood at the forefront of one of the most historic moments in American history as the Lone Star State became the first state in the South to ratify this Amendment. Ahead of the 106th anniversary of this critical Amendment’s certification, I’d like to take a moment to reflect on its history.
Women across the Unites States started organizing and protesting for the right to vote in the early 1800s.
In 1848, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott organized the Seneca Falls Convention, the first of its kind for women’s rights, to take place in New York.
Their plan, also known as the Declaration of Sentiments, advocated for broader educational and professional opportunities while calling for women’s right to control their own wages and property, later expanding to include the right to vote.
Roughly 300 women and men were in attendance for this historic convention. At the end of the two-day meeting, 68 women and 32 men signed the Declaration of Sentiments, starting what would be the foundation for women’s rights and the suffrage movement throughout many states, including Texas.
Nearly four decades later, U.S. Senator George Hoar (RMA) introduced a resolution in January 1882 to establish a Select Committee on Woman Suffrage, which passed 35-23, making Senate history.
But they did not stop there. Six months later, the Committee submitted a report to the full Senate outlining support for an Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which was then drafted and named the Susan B. Anthony Amendment.
Unfortunately, this Amendment failed to pass the Senate by 16-34 in January 1887.
That didn’t stop Texas women, who continued to press on. There are two Texans in particular I’d like to highlight who helped advocate for women’s suffrage during this time: Mariana Folsom and Eliza E. Peterson.
During the 1880s, Mariana Folsom traveled across Texas speaking about the importance of giving women the right to vote and lobbying for women’s suffrage in the Texas Legislature. She was a key factor in building momentum in Texas. Sadly, she did not live to see the outcome of her hard work and dedication and passed away in 1909.
Eliza E. Peterson, a music teacher from Texarkana, also played an important role. She advocated for the African-American community and devoted her time to social reform and broadening the women’s suffrage movement.
Starting in 1898, Eliza traveled to many youth organizations, women’s groups, and churches to share the importance of women having the right to vote.
Because of the tireless efforts of thousands of strong Texas women like them, Governor William P. Hobby took a major step forward in the spring of 1918 by signing into law the right for Texas women to vote in state primary elections and Texas nominating conventions, resulting in 386,000 women registering to vote.
As part of the push to help make this a reality in all elections nationwide, President Woodrow Wilson addressed the U.S. Senate in September 1918, pleading with the members to pass the women’s suffrage Amendment, which was approved months prior in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Finally, almost a full year later, the Senate approved it by a vote of 56-25.
On June 28, 1919, less than one month after Congress made it official, Texas officially became the ninth state to ratify the Amendment and the first southern state to do so. Texas women had shown what it meant to be Texas tough, helping make this movement possible across the Lone Star State.
It was not until Aug. 18, 1920, that Tennessee become the 36th state to ratify the Amendment. Finally, the Amendment had passed in three-fourths of all states, the threshold needed to be officially certified to become part of the U.S. Constitution on Aug. 26, 1920.
The fight for women’s right to vote was a long one that took decades of advocacy, determination, and tenacity by women – including countless Texans – who did not let their voices be silenced. As we can see today, Texas women have kept up this rich tradition of shaping the future of our state and nation.
Senator John Cornyn, a Republican from Texas, is a member of the Senate Finance, Judiciary, Intelligence, Foreign Relations, and Budget Committees.
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