One hundred years ago, in 1920, the 19th Amendment was ratified into our constitution.
The year became a milestone in American democracy for what it meant to our country and especially what it accomplished for women; the right of citizenship and with it, the right to vote.
On Feb. 7, 1920, Mrs. Sadie D. Hurst presented a resolution for Nevada’s Governor, Emmett D. Boyle, to sign making Nevada one of the original 36 states to ratify the 19th Amendment.
Now, on the 100 Anniversary of Nevada’s signing, the Mesquite Women’s History and Culture Center, along with Mesquite’s Mayor Al Litman will reenact that historical moment.
The re-enactment is scheduled to take place at City Hall at 2 p.m.
The public is invited to attend this momentous event honoring women’s century long fight for the rights of citizenship.
The fight for suffrage began in 1848 when a group of abolitionist activists gathered in Seneca, NY.
Led by Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott, this group of mostly women and a few men agreed that women were individuals who deserved their own political identities and therefore should also have the right to vote.
Groups of women all over the United States would have their setbacks due to the Civil War, but they held on and gained some momentum when in 1890 groups merged to form the National American Woman Suffrage Association. Cady Stanton was the organization’s first president.
WWI slowed the movement again but advanced women’s argument by pointing out that women’s work on behalf of the war effort proved that women were just as patriotic and deserving of citizenship as men.
Finally, on Aug. 18, 1920 the 19th Amendment to the Constitution was ratified and in November of that same year, over 8 million women across the United States voted in elections for the first time.
WHCC President and Founder, Jean Watkins, is herself a pioneer in women’s rights but doesn’t just rally for women. Watkins is a champion for the empowerment of everyone. Citizenship, human rights and the options available to people isn’t just a woman’s issue, it’s a human issue but women have historically had a more difficult time paving their way. While the Woman’s History and Culture Center focuses on the accomplishments of women and girls in all areas, it’s open and inviting to men and boys as well.
The public is invited to be a part of this re-enactment. You can appear in vintage clothing from that period (costumes are available through the WHCC inventory) if you’d like, please contact Carol Saldivar at 801-628-1849 to reserve your spot and/or schedule a fitting.
The Women’s History and Culture Center is opening the door to possibilities on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. They also have a full schedule of classes and group meetings, be sure to check their calendar of events while you’re there.
For more information on the WHCC please contact Carol Saldivar at 801-628-1849 or stop in at 225 N. Willow St.
