By Katie Ziegler

Tuesday marked 100 years since the U.S. Senate passed the 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution, sending it to the states for ratification.

This Friday, June 7, at the NCSL Executive Committee Meeting in Madison, Wisc., the Women’s Legislative Network will kick off our celebratory project, known as the Suffrage Amendment State History, or SASH, Campaign.

Aug.18, 2020 marks the 100th anniversary affirming that the right to vote shall not be denied on the basis of sex. The Women's Network is proud to celebrate all the women who have contributed to American democracy in so many significant ways.

Wisconsin is the perfect place to launch the project because it was one of the first states to ratify the 19th Amendment, on June 10, 1919.

Three women, Mildred Barber, Hellen Brooks and Helen Thompson were sworn into the Wisconsin Assembly in 1925. To date, 142 women have held office in the Wisconsin Legislature. The state is celebrating this milestone with artifacts, historical interpreters and more.  

NCSL’s goal for this campaign is to make sure each state is celebrated and represented in recognition of this historic occasion. Please tell us what your state is doing and we will include it on our website. In the meantime, take this quiz to see how much you know about the history of the suffrage movement!

Katie Ziegler is program director of Member Outreach and Women's Legislative Network of NCSL.

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