100 Years of the 19th Amendment

On August 18th 1920, women were finally granted the right to vote in the United States. The Susan B. Anthony-style suffragettes are certainly the most known figures behind the fight for women’s votes, but an entire network of suffragettes across the nation organizing in major cities made the demand clear. The Suffragette movement continued its momentum far into the 20th century with women’s voting advocacy groups such as the League of Women Voters (founded in February 1920) establishing chapters nationwide that continue to fight for people’s participation in elections.

To commemorate 100 years of Votes for Women, here are some of our favorite images of women exercising their right from the McLean County Museum of History’s “Pantagraph Negative Collection”.

Women Voting, 1940. McLean County Museum of History. Pantagraph Negative Collection (1940-1945).
Women Voting, 1940. McLean County Museum of History. Pantagraph Negative Collection (1940-1945).
Women Voting, 1940. McLean County Museum of History. Pantagraph Negative Collection (1940-1945).
League of Women Voters, Pontiac IL, 1941. McLean County Museum of History. Pantagraph Negative Collection (1940-1945)

In March we made a post about Mary Salome Ott Brand, and her first time at the polls as documented by her son Orson Brand and collected by the Highland Park Public Library.

For more on suffrage visit the IDHH’s holdings here.