Women in America gained the right to vote nationally with the ratification of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The amendment was passed by Congress on June 4, 1919, and ratified on August 18, 1920. This amendment legally guaranteed American women the right to vote, declaring that the right of citizens to vote shall not be denied on account of sex. Although some states had granted women voting rights earlier, this amendment marked the nationwide enfranchisement of women.
However, it's important to note that while the 19th Amendment prohibited denying the vote based on sex, many women of color, including Black, Native American, and Asian American women, faced discriminatory barriers and were effectively excluded from voting in some areas until later protections such as the Voting Rights Act of 1965 were enacted.
