Twenty-twenty marks the 100th anniversary of the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. The amendment drastically changed the face of American democracy by making it illegal to deny a person’s right to vote based on sex. This milestone was a success hard-fought over decades by diverse and resilient women who demanded voting equality through protesting, lobbying, writing, and more.

Visit our new exhibition guide to learn more about this historic achievement as well as Tennessee’s crucial role in it. The guide examines cultural shifts among women in the years leading up to the women’s suffrage movement. It also explores some of the disparities within the movement, a few of Tennessee’s most influential suffragists, and how Tennessee cast the decisive vote for ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment. Lastly, the guide draws attention to how women have continued to campaign for equitable voting and civil rights.