Today is the 100th anniversary of the certification of the 19th Amendment and Women’s Equality Day

Certification of the 19^th Amendment

The 19^th Amendment guarantees the right of women to vote. Tennessee became the 36th state to ratify it on Aug. 18, 1920. It was the final hurdle of obtaining the agreement of three-fourths of the states.

On Aug. 26, 1920, Secretary of State Bainbridge Colby certified the ratification. That meant that the 19^th Amendment became part of the U.S. Constitution. The certification serves as official notice to the Congress and to the nation that the amendment process has been completed.

The amendment was called the Susan B. Anthony Amendment, for Anthony, a leading figure in the women's voting rights movement.

On Nov. 2, 1920, more than 8 million women in the United States voted in elections for the first time.

Women’s Equality Day

On Aug. 26, 1973, Congress designated August 26 as Women's Equality Day, and authorized and requested the president to issue a proclamation in commemoration of that day in 1920 on which America women were first guaranteed the right to vote.

In his proclamation in 1973, President Richard Nixon called on the people of the U.S., interested groups, and organizations to observe Women's Equality Day with appropriate ceremonies and activities. Nixon also said:

I further urge all our people to use this occasion to reflect on the importance of achieving equal rights and opportunities for women and to dedicate themselves anew to that great goal. For the cause of equal rights and opportunities for women is inseparable from the cause of human dignity and equal justice for all.