This story is cross-posted on the websites of the Library of Congress, National Archives, and Smithsonian’s American Women’s History Initiative.
On June 4, 1919, the U.S. Congress passed a federal woman suffrage amendment and sent it to the states for ratification. It was a thrilling moment for the movement to win the women’s vote and the culmination of years of smart campaigning.
Suffragists deployed a range of creative communications tools to advocate for the cause: They staged costumed tableaux at protest marches, organized church committees, held up handmade signs in front of the White House, published their own newspapers and even walked 230 miles from New York City to Washington, D.C.
If social media had been available, these women would likely have leveraged it to organize and draw attention to the cause of women’s suffrage. (A recent tweet from the National Archives tells us that “suffrage” comes from the Latin word “suffragium,” meaning the privilege to vote.)
But while women couldn’t tweet or post on Instagram at the turn of the 20th century, we can! As we commemorate the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, we invite you to learn about this history through social media. Here are three moments we don’t want you to miss while scrolling.
June 4: Meet real suffrage documents on Instagram
On the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment’s passage by Congress, the National Archives will hold an Instameet and take you behind-the-scenes with Rightfully Hers: American Women and the Vote exhibition curator Corinne Porter.
On the morning of June 4, join in by following the hashtag #RightfullyHers on Instagram. You’ll see the original 19th Amendment; a 1910 patent drawing for a gendered “voting machine”; a 1946 affidavit from Julia Denetclaw, a Navajo Indian woman who was refused permission to register to vote; anti-suffrage material; and more.
June 4: Discover women’s history stories from around the U.S. on Twitter
Explore objects, stories and resources from museums, libraries and archives across the country with the hashtag #19thAt100. The Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History is convening more than 50 organizations to spend the day sharing stories related to the past, present, and future of women’s suffrage, with a particular focus on women’s stories that have been overlooked. The day is part of the Smithsonian’s American Women’s History Initiative.
June 20: March along with us on a social media tour
Telling the story of the largest reform movement in American history is a big job for any single exhibition, so we are bringing three exhibitions to you! Social media guides from the Smithsonian, National Archives and Library of Congress will visit our three exhibitions and share the highlights with you on Twitter and Instagram. Follow the hashtag #HerVote100 to meet the experts who worked on the exhibition and learn about the women who persisted in the fight for the vote. Don’t hesitate to ask questions. Stops on our social tour include:
Shall Not Be Denied: Women Fight for the Vote at the Library of Congress
Rightfully Hers: American Women and the Vote at the National Archives
Votes for Women: A Portrait of Persistence at the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery
Throughout June: Get your weekly dose of women’s history
Celebrate the passage of the 19th Amendment with 19 weeks of amazing women in history with the @USNatArchives on Instagram. Starting on June 5, the National Archives will post a theme each week featuring a woman in history. Share the story of women who inspire you by using the hashtag #19forthe19th!
The Library of Congress also is exploring the stories of individual suffragists and their contributions to changing America each week through June. Follow along with #ShallNotBeDenied on Twitter and Instagram.
Here’s where you can find us on social media:
Library of Congress
- Twitter: @LibraryCongress
- Instagram: @LibraryCongress
National Archives
- Twitter: @USNatArchives
- Instagram: @USNatArchives
Presidential Libraries on Twitter: @OurPresidents
National Archives Foundation
- Twitter: @ArchivesFdn
- Instagram: @ArchivesFdn_
Smithsonian
- Twitter: @Smithsonian
- Instagram: @Smithsonian
National Portrait Gallery
- Twitter: @SmithsonianNPG
- Instagram: @SmithsonianNPG
National Museum of African American History and Culture
National Museum of American History
- Twitter: @amhistorymuseum
- Instagram: @amhistorymuseum
June will be a big month for women’s history, but it’s a theme we’ll explore throughout the year. Other recommended hashtags to browse: #BecauseOfHerStory, #HiddenHerstory, and #Suffrage100D