History Daily The 19th Amendment Gives Women the Right to Vote
Aug 18, 2025
The ratification of the 19th Amendment on August 18, 1920, marked a monumental achievement for women's rights. It recounts the harrowing experiences of suffragists, including Lucy Burns, who endured brutal treatment while fighting for their cause. The efforts of activists like Alice Paul are highlighted, particularly her brave actions during a pivotal suffragist parade. A dramatic vote in Tennessee ultimately led to the amendment's passage, but the legacy is complex, revealing the struggles that women of color continued to face in the fight for equality.
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Occoquan Prison Brutality
- Guards at Occoquan Workhouse brutally attacked imprisoned suffragists on November 14, 1917, aiming to break their spirit.
- Lucy Burns suffered the worst abuse, including being stripped and hung by her wrists until morning.
Alice Paul’s Radical Apprenticeship
- Alice Paul learned militant tactics in Britain and returned to the U.S. determined to use them for suffrage.
- She and Lucy Burns bonded in Britain and staged bold disruptions like guildhall and parliament protests.
Holloway Prison And Force-Feeding
- Alice Paul was arrested in 1909 during a protest and jailed at Holloway Prison where she endured force-feeding after a hunger strike.
- The brutal treatment left her physically harmed but more determined to continue suffrage work in America.