#rightfully hers

Allied women in Paris to plead for international suffrage. Women, representing Allied Nations . . ., 2/27/1919  

Series: American Unofficial Collection of World War I Photographs, 1917 - 1918. Record Group 165: Records of the War Department General and Special Staffs, 1860 - 1952. 

The National Archives, in partnership with the Women’s Suffrage Centennial Commission (WSCC), is sharing the story of women’s fight for their right to vote with Americans across the country. 

The National Archives is providing 2,500 free popup displays to cultural institutions nationwide in honor of the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment and women’s constitutional right to vote. 

Organizations or venues interested in ordering a popup display can sign up here (https://bit.ly/3dqlW25) or send questions to [email protected].

Lightweight and versatile, these free "Rightfully Hers" displays are easy to assemble and will be delivered to venues leading up to the official centennial in August and beyond. Participating venues will receive digital educational and press materials, and can keep and re-use the display. 

Free Pop-Up Display from the National Archives

The National Archives, in partnership with the Women's Suffrage Centennial Commission (WSCC), is providing 2,500 free Rightfully Hers pop-up displays to cultural institutions nationwide in honor of the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment and women's constitutional right to vote.

The displays are FREE, easy to set up, and are yours to keep. Assembled size is 68" high by 32" wide and their footprint is approximately 45" square. Participating venues will receive a display delivered to their door via UPS in late July/early August, along with digital educational and press materials via email.

Just a few days left to sign up (deadline is June 27).

Sign up here.

Free Pop-Up Display from the National Archives

The National Archives, in partnership with the Women’s Suffrage Centennial Commission (WSCC), is providing 2,500 free Rightfully Hers pop-up displays to cultural institutions nationwide in honor of the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment and women’s constitutional right to vote.

The displays are FREE, easy to set up, and are yours to keep. Assembled size is 68" high by 32" wide and their footprint is approximately 45" square. Participating venues will receive a display delivered to their door via UPS in late July/early August, along with digital educational and press materials via email.

There’s just a few days left to sign up  –  the deadline is June 27!

Sign up here.

Rightfully Hers: American Women and the Vote

Today’s post comes from Debra Steidel Wall, Deputy Archivist of the United States.

Almost 100 years ago, the United States House and Senate passed the proposed 19th Amendment to the Constitution. A little over a year later the 36th state – Tennessee – ratified it, and the new amendment prohibiting the states and the federal government from denying the right to vote to citizens of the United States on the basis of sex became law.

Here at the National Archives we are making plans to commemorate this important anniversary. The cornerstone of our celebration is a new exhibit, Rightfully Hers: American Women and the Vote. It will run in our Lawrence O’Brien Gallery at our building in Washington, DC, from May 10, 2019, through January 3, 2021. The exhibit commemorates the 100th anniversary of the 19th amendment by looking beyond suffrage parades and protests to the often-overlooked story behind the landmark moment in American history. This fuller retelling of the struggle for women’s voting rights uses our records to illustrate the dynamic involvement of American women across the spectrum of race, ethnicity, and class to reveal what it really took to win the vote for one half of the people.

Read the full post on the AOTUS blog.

"Petition of Lucinda F. Proebstel, Le Grande, Union County, Oregon, Praying for the Removal of her Political Disabilities,” 2/7/1878 

File Unit: Petitions and Memorials, Resolutions of State Legislatures, and Related Documents Which Were Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary during the 45th Congress, 1877 - 1879. Series: Petitions and Memorials, 1813 - 1968. Record Group 233: Records of the U.S. House of Representatives, 1789 - 2015. 

See National Archives interns Dena Lombardo and Isaac Whitcomb set up the display in just 20 seconds!  (OK, it’s a sped up video)

LAST CHANCE!  Sign up for Pop-up Display by June 27!!!

Feeling down? Get a Pop-up! Have your school/library/organization/community center request (here) a special free pop-up display commemorating the 100th anniversary of Women’s Suffrage by June 27.  

"Telegram from Alice M. Elrich, President of the Women's Political Union of New Haven, to President Woodrow Wilson," 10/20/1913 

File Unit: Appeal of Mrs. Emmeline Pankhurst for admittance for visit, English Suffragette, 1907 - 1913. Series: Subject and Policy Files, 1893 - 1957. Record Group 85: Records of the Immigration and Naturalization Service, 1787 - 2004.

In this telegram, Alice M. Elrich informs President Woodrow Wilson of the opinions of the Women’s Political Union regarding Emmeline Pankhurst. The Union believed that Pankhurst should be allowed into America and admired for her strong efforts for the rights of women. They claimed that there was no difference between Pankhurst and Irish political offenders except gender, and that just as America helped these men they should help Pankhurst.