[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 147 (Tuesday, August 18, 2020)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E765]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   HONORING THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF WOMEN GAINING THE RIGHT TO VOTE

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                            HON. PETER WELCH

                               of vermont

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, August 18, 2020

  Mr. WELCH. Madam Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the 100th 
anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment to the 
Constitution, which states that ``the right of citizens of the United 
States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or 
by any State on account of sex.'' The right to vote is the foundation 
of our democracy and the fight for women's suffrage was a generations 
long struggle.
  The 19th Amendment did not guarantee the right to vote for all women. 
Although African American and other suffragists of color nationwide 
worked tirelessly for suffrage, they faced systematic racism in the 
movement and were frequently denied their right to vote through 
harassment, intimidation, and laws that imposed severe restrictions. 
Native Americans and Asian Americans were denied citizenship and, 
therefore, were not eligible to vote until after 1924 and 1952, 
respectively. It was only in 1965 with the passage of the Voting Rights 
Act that barriers to voting based on race were removed.
  Vermont women engaged in the suffrage movement for decades; notable 
among them: Clarina Howard Nichols of Townshend, who petitioned the 
legislature for voting rights in school district elections; Laura 
Moore, the longtime Secretary of the Vermont Woman's Suffrage 
Association; Lucy Daniels of Grafton, who protested disfranchisement by 
refusing to pay her taxes; Annette Parmelee of Enosburg Falls, who was 
a persistent legislative lobbyist; and Lillian Olzendam of Woodstock, 
who organized a massive campaign to convince legislators to ratify the 
19th Amendment.
  In 1919, the Vermont Legislature passed the Presidential suffrage 
bill but it was vetoed by Governor Percival Clement, an opponent of 
women's suffrage. He refused to call for a special legislative session 
which would have allowed Vermont to become the 36th and final state to 
ratify the amendment. In response, 400 suffragists marched through mud 
and snow to the Vermont State House in protest, demanding the governor 
allow a vote, which he did not. Consequently, Tennessee became the 
final ratifying state on August 18, 1920--100 years ago, today.
  Following the ratification of the 19th Amendment, 28,159 Vermont 
women registered to vote. Edna Beard of Orange became the first woman 
to win a seat in the Vermont House of Representatives and was one of 
the Vermont legislators who finally ratified the 19th Amendment on 
February 8, 1921.
  While today is a celebration of how far we have come and the 
accomplishments of the suffragist movement, we must also acknowledge 
the history of the movement that marginalized and ostracized women of 
color, especially Black American women who fought tirelessly for the 
right to vote. Today, many obstacles to voting still exist and they 
disproportionately affect people of color. The fight for voting rights, 
racial justice, and our democracy continue. As the late Congressman 
John Lewis said, ``Democracy is not a state. It is an act.''

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