Emancipation Hall in the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center
US Capitol Visitor Center logo

E PLURIBUS UNUM —
OUT OF MANY, ONE

HISTORY OF CONGRESS
AND THE CAPITOL

Securing Woman Suffrage

Organizing in 1848 at a convention in Seneca Falls, New York, and continuing into the 20th century, several generations of woman suffragists worked tirelessly for the right to vote. Over time, strategies varied: in the early 1900s some supporters tried to attain full suffrage through a constitutional amendment, while others pursued state-by-state campaigns to win suffrage incrementally. Woman suffrage was finally achieved by constitutional means in 1920 with the ratification of the 19th Amendment guaranteeing women the right to vote.

 
History of Congress and the Capitol