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The Women’s Suffrage National Monument Foundation was designated by the U.S. Congress to establish a commemorative work on federal land in Washington, D.C. to honor the pioneers of the early American movement for women's equality.

But so much of their story—our story—has never been told. Until now.

Suffragists began their organized fight for women’s equality in 1848 when they demanded the right to vote during the first women’s rights convention in Seneca Falls, New York. For the next 72 years, women leaders lobbied, marched, picketed, and protested for the right to the ballot, and finally, on August 26, 1920, the 19th Amendment became part of the U.S. Constitution, forever protecting American women’s right to vote.

Today, millions of women vote in elections because of the courageous suffragists who never gave up the fight for equality. Explore the resources below to learn more about the story of the 19th Amendment and women’s fight for the ballot.

ONLINE LEARNING CENTERS

Whether you’re a student, teacher, or lifelong learner, explore these centralized Online Learning Centers to discover resources that detail the rich and compelling history of the suffragists’ fight for the ballot.

In the National Park Service’s 19th Amendment Learning Center, resources include a crash course in suffrage history, a deep-dive into the history of women’s right to vote, exceptional teacher lesson plans, and more.

Featuring archival collections from Susan B. Anthony, Alice Paul, Jeanette Rankin, and the Blackwell Family, Harvard University’s Schlesinger Library has one of the most expansive collections of original suffrage artifacts in the world.

From the Library of Congress, view the original papers of Susan B. Anthony, Carrie Chapman Catt, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Mary Church Terrell, the National American Woman Suffrage Association, and the National Woman’s Party. Teachers can explore the Library’s extensive lesson plans and suffrage images, and the musicians can browse original suffrage sheet music.

A collection of the best teacher resources, primary sources, and recommended readings on the American women’s suffrage movement available on the web, the Crusade for the Vote Resource Center is the work of the National Women’s History Museum.

From the National Archives, explore and enjoy teacher lesson plans, photographs, and other records related to suffrage history.

From the Smithsonian Institution, original suffrage artifacts are used to explore the full history of voting rights in the U.S., including an in-depth look into Native American voting rights and histories, a guide to amending the Constitution, and much more.

RECOMMENDED READING

  • Vanguard: How Black Women Broke Barriers, Won the Vote, and Insisted on Equality for All
    By Martha S. Jones

  • The Suffragist Playbook: Your Guide to Changing the World
    By Lucinda Robb and Rebecca Boggs Roberts

  • Ida B. the Queen: The Extraordinary Life and Legacy of Ida B. Wells

    By Michelle Duster

  • Interpreting the Legacy of Women's Suffrage at Museums and Historic Sites
    By Page Harrington

  • The Woman’s Hour: The Great Fight to Win the Vote
    By Elaine Weiss

  • Winning the Vote: The Triumph of the American Woman Suffrage Movement
    By Robert Cooney

  • Mr. President, How Long Must We Wait? Alice Paul, Woodrow Wilson, and the Fight for the Right to Vote
    By Tina Cassidy

  • She Came to Slay: The Life and Times of Harriet Tubman
    By Ericka Armstrong Dunbar

  • Around America to Win the Vote: Two Suffragists, a Kitten, and 10,000 Miles
    By Mara Rockliff

  • Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom
    By David W. Blight

  • Bold & Brave: Ten Heroes Who Won Women the Right to Vote
    By Senator Kirsten Gillibrand

  • Picturing Political Power: Images in the Women’s Suffrage Movement
    By Allison Lange

  • Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History
    By Vashti Harrison

  • Votes for Women!: American Suffragists and the Battle for the Ballot
    By Winifred Conkling

  • Funding Feminism: Monied Women, Philanthropy, and the Women’s Movement, 1870–1967
    By Joan Marie Johnson

  • Why They Marched: Untold Stories of the Women Who Fought for the Right to Vote
    By Susan Ware

  • Votes for Women: A Portrait of Persistence
    By Kate Lemay

  • Alice Paul: Claiming Power
    By J.D. Zahniser & Amelia R. Fry

  • Why Can't Mother Vote?: Joseph Hanover and the Unfinished Business of Democracy
    By Bill Haltom

Find These Titles At Your Local Bookstore >>

SUFFRAGE HISTORY PODCASTS

Listen wherever you get your podcasts and enjoy these modern and engaging suffrage history stories for all ages! Created by the Women’s Suffrage Centennial Commission, the National Park Service, and PRX.

Rosario Dawson and Retta guide listeners through the fight for women’s voting rights, a history that resonates now more than ever.

Suffragists and abolitionists Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass were friends--and sometimes adversaries--for 45 years. Follow them through time with this theatrical podcast based on the play by Mat Smart.

Fun for the whole family! 100 years ago, American women won the right to vote. Gold medal gymnast Aly Raisman hosts this journey back in time to discover the suffrage story.