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Annie Gilmer Published 10:00 a.m. CT Jan. 19, 2020

2020 marks the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, which is a milestone to celebrate so Im going to tell you just a small snippet of the fight women engaged in to get us to this anniversary. In 1848, July, the first meeting on a national level was convened to discuss the need for better education and employment opportunities for women.

From this first large-scale meeting grew organizations such as the National Woman Suffrage Association (NWSA), founded by Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony; while Lucy Stone and Julia Ward Howe formed the American Woman Suffrage Association (AWSA) due to their disagreement with the NWSA on how to go about winning the right to vote. Another suffrage organization that was formed by Harriet Tubman, Frances E.W. Harper, Ida B. Wells, and Mary Church Terrell was the National Association of Colored Womens Clubs (NACWC) due to the underrepresentation of African American women in the movement. Over the late 1800s several suffrage groups would merge as their views aligned and new groups would form.

On January 10, 1878 a senator from California, Aaron Sargent, would introduce an amendment to the constitution that would grant women the right to vote; this would eventually become the 19th Amendment. In the intervening years, demonstrations, parades, street speaking, and other efforts were organized in support of womens suffrage. Alice Paul, who founded the National Womens Party (NWP), organized a parade in Washington D.C. On March 3, 1913 around eight thousand women marched in what was the largest suffrage event to date. There was mixed support and opposition in the approximately 500,000 strong crowd gathered to watch the march, and over 100 women ended up in the hospital by the end.

Finally, on June 4, 1919 Congress passed the federal womens suffrage amendment; its now a matter of getting 36 states to ratify the amendment so that it becomes law. Utah is the first state to ratify the amendment. Before becoming a state, Utah had given women the right to vote back in 1870, making it the home to the largest population of female voters at the time. Almost fifteen months after the 19th passed in Congress, it is ratified into law on August 18, 1920.

If you would like a more comprehensive account of the history of the suffrage movement and the 19th Amendment then come celebrate with us at the History Center on Monday, Jan. 27 starting at 4 p.m.. The History Center has organized a 19th Amendment Centennial Equali-Tea Party with family-friendly activities, refreshments, tea and a photo booth. We hope to see you there, and make sure to ask why we decided a tea party was the best way to celebrate this centennial we love a story!

Coming Up:

Aulds, 742-2337

Wednesday, Jan. 22 @ 1 pm Chair Exercise Class, ages 18 and up

Benton, 965-2751

Tuesday, Jan. 28 @ 3:30 p.m. Senora Montgomery Clase de Espanol, ages 12 and up

Bossier Central,746-1693

Thursday, Jan. 23 @ 2:30 p.m. & 4 p.m. Epilepsy Awareness with Epilepsy Alliance Louisiana, ages 13 and up

Saturday, Jan. 25 @ 2 p.m. Minute to Win It, all ages

Monday, Jan. 27 @ 4 p.m. Marvel Movie Monday, ages 13 - 17

East 80, 949-2665

Tuesday, Jan. 28 @ 4 p.m. Winter Fest, all ages

Haughton,949-0196

Monday, Jan. 27 @ 10 a.m. Bingo, ages 18 and up

**Expected Reopening Date: Tuesday, Jan. 21 barring unforeseen delays**

History Center, 746-7717

Monday, Jan. 27 @ 4 p.m. 19th Amendment Centennial Equali-Tea Party, all ages

Plain Dealing, 326-4233

Saturday, Jan. 25 @ noon Music and Movement Storytime, ages 0 5

Tooke, 987-3915

Saturday, Jan. 25 @ 1 p.m. Teen Book Club, ages 13 17 (call for book selection).

Annie Gilmer is community engagementlibrarianat Bossier Parish Public Libraries.

Read or Share this story: https://www.shreveporttimes.com/story/life/2020/01/19/celebrate-th-anniversary-th-amendment-equali-tea-party/41007087/

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Equali-Tea party will celebrate 100th anniversary of 19th Amendment - Shreveport Times