In 1645, Margaret Brent, an unmarried woman with property and serving as the lawyer for Lord Baltimore, demanded but was denied a vote in Maryland’s colonial assembly.

In 1648, Margaret Brent demanded a vote in Maryland's colonial assembly but was denied. This event marked an early attempt by a woman to participate in the political process.

In 1756, Lydia Taft, the recent widow of Josiah Taft, was allowed to vote as Josiah’s proxy at a town meeting in Uxbridge, Massachusetts. She became the first white woman to vote in what was to become the United States.

On July 2, 1776, the New Jersey constitution was adopted, allowing all residents who own a specific amount of property to vote, without reference to gender or race. This meant that unmarried or widowed women and Black men could vote if they met the property ownership requirements.

In 1789, the Constitution of the United States allowed states to determine voting requirements. New Jersey stood out by granting voting rights to unmarried and widowed women who met property qualifications, unlike other states that limited voting to property-owning white males.

In 1807, women in New Jersey lost their voting rights as the state revoked the previous allowance for unmarried and widowed women to vote, restricting suffrage to men only.

In 1838, Kentucky enacted the first statewide woman suffrage law, permitting female heads of household in rural areas to vote in elections related to taxes and local boards for the county 'common school' system.

Lucretia Mott and Elizabeth Cady Stanton were prevented from attending the World Anti-Slavery Convention in London, leading them to organize a Women's Convention in the US.

The first Women's Rights Convention took place in 1847.

The Seneca Falls Convention was the first women's rights convention in the United States. It marked the beginning of the women's suffrage movement.

The First National Women's Rights Convention occurred in 1849.

The First National Women’s Rights Convention took place in Worcester, Massachusetts, with nearly 1,000 attendees from eleven states, including California.

Sojourner Truth delivered her famous 'Ain’t I a Woman' speech at a Women’s Convention in Akron, Ohio.

The Second National Women’s Rights Convention was held in Worcester, Massachusetts.

The Third National Women’s Rights Convention took place in Syracuse, New York.

During the World's Fair in New York City, suffragists gathered for a meeting at the Broadway Tabernacle.

The Civil War took place in 1860.

In 1862, widowed women in Oregon with children and taxable property are granted the right to vote in school elections, although women of color are excluded due to property ownership restrictions.

The American Equal Rights Association was formed in 1865.

The Eleventh National Women’s Rights Convention is held in New York City on May 10, 1866, where black and white attendees establish the American Equal Rights Association advocating for universal suffrage regardless of race, color, or sex.

Delegates at the New York State Constitutional Convention vote to grant the vote to Black men, but not to women. However, the new constitution is rejected by the state's voters in the 1869 elections, leading to neither group receiving the vote.

Women in Vineland, New Jersey establish the Vineland Equal Rights Association and petition the state for 'Impartial Suffrage, Irrespective of Sex or Color.'

The Fourteenth Amendment is adopted, defining who is a citizen of the United States based on birth or naturalization and jurisdiction. This grants citizenship to women, unless they are part of an excluded group, sparking debates on citizenship rights and responsibilities.

On January 19, 1869, the Twelfth National Women’s Rights Convention took place in Washington, D.C., marking the final gathering of its kind.

The American Equal Rights Association faced a division during its annual meeting on May 12, 1869, with Frederick Douglass advocating for Black men's suffrage over women's rights, leading to a painful split.

On May 15, 1869, the National Woman Suffrage Association (NWSA) was founded by prominent figures like Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony, emphasizing the urgency of women's suffrage.

On December 10, 1869, women in Wyoming Territory were granted the right to vote without any restrictions, making it a significant milestone in the suffrage movement.

In 1870, the Utah Territory granted all women over the age of 21 years the right to vote in any election.

Victoria Woodhull becomes the first woman to address a House committee, testifying to the Judiciary Committee of the United States House of Representatives. She argues that the Fourteenth Amendment grants women the right to vote, but the committee disagrees.

Mary Olney Brown is denied voting in Olympia, Washington Territory, while her sister, Charlotte Olney French, and seven other women successfully vote in Grand Mound. Additionally, eight women in the Black River precinct of the state also successfully vote.

Victoria Woodhull is nominated for President by the Equal Rights Party with a platform supporting woman suffrage and equal rights. Frederick Douglass is nominated as her Vice Presidential running mate.

Virginia Minor is denied the right to register to vote in St. Louis, Missouri, leading to a legal case that reaches the US Supreme Court in 1875.

Susan B. Anthony, along with several women in Rochester, New York, votes in the presidential election and is arrested and charged with voting illegally. Her case is heard by a federal court in 1873. Other women who voted are arrested but not charged. The election inspectors who allowed the women to vote are also arrested and found guilty.

Pennsylvania ratifies its 1873 constitution, replacing the words 'white freeman' with 'male citizens' to affirm the Fifteenth Amendment. The new constitution excludes women and goes into effect on January 1, 1874.

The Woman’s Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) is founded in Cleveland, Ohio, advocating for temperance and women's rights.

The US Supreme Court rules that although women are citizens entitled to privileges and immunities, voting is not one of them. This decision upholds Missouri's limitation of voting rights to men.

The Woman Suffrage Amendment is introduced into Congress, marking a significant step towards women's suffrage.

Senator Aaron Sargent introduces an amendment in the US Senate recognizing women's right to vote, modeled after the Fifteenth Amendment. However, the Senate delays voting on the amendment until 1887.

Thirteen women in Syracuse, New York register and vote, marking the first time women legally voted in the state since 1777.

New York state grants women school suffrage, allowing them the right to vote in school-related matters.

At their National Convention in Washington, DC, the Woman's Christian Temperance Union formally endorses woman suffrage, believing that women will vote to protect their homes from evils like alcohol.

Both the U.S. House and Senate appoint committees on women's suffrage, both of which report favorably on the matter.

Women in the Washington territory are granted full voting rights, allowing them to participate in elections.

The U.S. House of Representatives engages in a debate regarding women's suffrage, discussing the potential extension of voting rights to women.

In 1885, both houses of the Dakota Territorial Legislature pass a bill for woman suffrage, but it is vetoed by the Governor, reflecting the ongoing challenges faced in achieving women's right to vote in the region.

The suffrage amendment is defeated by a two-to-one margin in the U.S. Senate, hindering progress towards granting women the right to vote.

On January 25, 1887, the women's vote amendment that was first introduced to the US Senate in 1878 is defeated, halting progress towards granting women the right to vote at the federal level.

Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony, and others establish the International Council of Women in Washington, DC. The organization advocates internationally for women's rights, including suffrage.

The Wyoming state convention approves a constitution that includes woman suffrage. It goes into effect when Wyoming becomes a state in 1890.

The National Woman Suffrage Association and the American Woman Suffrage Association merge to form the National American Woman Suffrage Association.

Washington state women are granted the right to vote in some local school district elections.

Wyoming becomes a state with woman suffrage included in its new state constitution, making it the first state with woman suffrage.

An amendment to the South Dakota state constitution to add woman suffrage is defeated by a margin of two-to-one.

New Mexico denies woman suffrage.

Colorado granted women the right to vote on November 7, 1893.

In August 1894, the New York State constitutional convention voted 97 to 58 against woman suffrage, a setback for the suffragette movement in the state.

After publishing The Woman's Bible, Elizabeth Cady Stanton faced backlash from conservative suffragists within NAWSA who viewed her as too radical, leading to her exclusion from NAWSA conventions.

On January 4, 1896, Utah became a state with woman suffrage included in the new state constitution, restoring women's right to vote that was taken away by the 1887 Edmunds-Tucker Act.

On November 3, 1896, Idaho voters approved adding woman suffrage to the state constitution.

The National American Woman Suffrage Association launches the National Suffrage Bulletin in 1897, with Carrie Chapman Catt as the editor, marking a new era in suffrage communication.

On August 12, the Territory of Hawai’i is established, with the territorial constitution deliberately excluding woman suffrage. This period also marks the removal of Queen Lili’uokalani from power by the United States in 1893.

The Delaware State Legislature passes a law in 1899 permitting taxpaying women to vote in school elections, marking a step towards greater gender equality in voting.

A Valentine's Day card from 1900 spread love and advocated for women's equality.

Women from ten nations gather in Washington, DC for the First Conference of the International Woman Suffrage Alliance to discuss strategies for achieving international woman suffrage.

Voters in New Hampshire reject a woman suffrage amendment to the state's constitution through a referendum.

Emmeline Pankhurst and her daughter Christabel found the Women’s Social and Political Union in England, known for its militant tactics that influence suffragists globally, including Alice Paul in the US.

During the annual convention of the American Federation of Labor in Boston, the Women’s Trade Union League is established, advocating for woman suffrage to enhance labor conditions and garnering support from working men.

In 1904, Rev. Dr. Anna Howard Shaw assumes the role of president of the National American Woman Suffrage Association in place of Carrie Chapman Catt, who is attending to her ill husband.

In 1906, Harriot Stanton Blatch, daughter of Elizabeth Cady Stanton, establishes the Equality League of Self Supporting Women, focusing on professional and industrial working women and pioneering suffrage parades.

The Expatriation Act is enacted, stating that a woman loses her US citizenship if she marries a foreign man, unlike American men marrying foreign women.

Oklahoma officially becomes a state, and women are granted the right to vote in school elections as part of the new state Constitution.

Organized by Maud Malone of the Harlem Equal Rights League, the first open-air suffrage meeting takes place in Madison Square Park, New York City.

Members of New York City’s Women’s Progressive Suffrage Union march from Union Square to the Manhattan Trade School, marking the first suffrage march in the United States despite facing police attempts to break them up.

Women workers in New York City observe National Woman’s Day, demanding women’s right to vote. It is now celebrated as International Women’s Day.

The first suffrage march in the United States took place in Oakland, California, led by Johanna Pinther, Jeanette Pinther, and Lillian Harris Coffin. They marched to demand California suffrage be added to the Republican platform.

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is founded in New York City by white and Black members, playing a significant role in the suffrage movement for women and Black men in the South.

Alice Paul is arrested in London for smashing a window during a suffrage protest. She is sentenced to one month of hard labor. This incident is part of her activism during her time in England.

Approximately 10,000 people gather in New York City’s Union Square for the largest woman suffrage demonstration in the United States at that time, highlighting the growing support for women's voting rights.

The New Mexico Constitutional Convention convenes in Santa Fe during October 3 to November 21. They draft a constitution allowing women to vote solely in school board elections, effective upon New Mexico's statehood on January 6, 1912.

Washington voters approve a woman suffrage amendment to the state constitution on November 8, with nearly 64% backing the measure.

The tragic Triangle Shirtwaist Fire in New York City claims the lives of 145 workers on March 25. This event leads to increased collaboration between working women and middle-class reformers, who advocate for woman suffrage to improve working conditions.

The second annual suffrage parade in New York City takes place on May 6, with around 3,000 participants. The event culminates in a rally at Union Square, attended by approximately 10,000 individuals.

California voters approve a woman suffrage measure on the state ballot, granting women the right to vote with 50.7 percent support.

Arizona becomes a state on February 14, 1912, but its constitution does not ensure women's access to voting. The Arizona Equal Suffrage Association mobilizes to include a referendum measure for women's suffrage on the November 1912 ballot.

The third annual New York City suffrage parade on May 4, 1912, draws 20,000 marchers and half a million spectators in support of women's voting rights.

On May 19, 1912, Tye Leung Shulze from California makes history as the first Chinese person in America to cast a vote.

The Arizona woman suffrage referendum passes by a margin of two-to-one.

Oregon citizens vote in a woman suffrage referendum, which passes with 52% in favor.

Ida B. Wells-Barnett establishes the Alpha Suffrage Club, the first Black women’s suffrage organization in Illinois.

On the day before President Woodrow Wilson's inauguration in 1913, thousands of suffragists gathered in Washington for the Woman Suffrage Procession organized by Paul and Burns for NAWSA. Inez Milholland, a 26-year-old suffragist, led the parade on horseback.

Illinois passes a law granting women the right to vote in presidential elections.

Montana granted women the right to vote on April 7, 1914.

Montana grants women the right to vote through a referendum, with a majority of 52.2 percent.

A woman's suffrage amendment is defeated by the US House of Representatives with a vote of 174 to 204.

On May 18, 1915, supporters of women's suffrage organized a 'suffrage day' game at the Polo Grounds in Manhattan to promote the cause. They offered a piece of chocolate cake with every ticket purchased and decorated the stadium with yellow banners and baseball-themed fliers.

New York state voters narrowly reject a referendum to introduce woman suffrage into the state constitution.

Alice Paul and the Congressional Union break away from the National American Woman Suffrage Association to establish the National Woman’s Party.

Jeannette Rankin of Montana became the first woman elected to the U.S. Congress on November 7, 1916.

Voters in South Dakota reject a woman suffrage amendment with 48 percent of the vote.

President Woodrow Wilson visits the Statue of Liberty, where a plan to drop 'Votes for women' leaflets on his yacht from a bi-plane is thwarted by weather.

On January 30, 1917, Alison Turnbull Hopkins stands at her 'Silent Sentinel' post outside the White House, advocating for women's suffrage as part of the National Woman's Party.

On March 4, 1917, Jeannette Rankin takes office, becoming the first woman to serve in the United States Congress.

On April 21, 1917, Nebraska women achieve partial suffrage, allowing them to vote in municipal elections and for presidential electors.

In May 1917, Michigan women gain the right to vote for the US President, expanding their suffrage rights.

New York granted women the right to vote on November 5, 1917.

On November 6, 1917, New York voters approve a woman suffrage amendment to the state constitution, with 59% voting in favor of it.

November 14, 1917, marks the 'Night of Terror' at the Occoquan Workhouse, where jailed 'Silent Sentinels' are subjected to beatings, chaining in stress positions, and rendered unconscious, highlighting the harsh treatment faced by suffragettes.

On January 9, 1918, President Woodrow Wilson delivered a speech advocating for woman suffrage as a war measure. He emphasized the importance of democracy and urged Congress to support women's right to vote.

Congresswoman Jeannette Rankin of Montana introduces the 19th Amendment to the US House of Representatives. The Amendment passes 274 to 136 that same day and moves to the Senate.

The US Senate votes on the 19th Amendment. The vote is short by two of the needed two-thirds majority required to pass.

On May 21, the U.S. House of Representatives passes the 19th Amendment legislation, a significant step towards women's suffrage.

On June 4, 1919, Congress approved the Nineteenth Amendment, sending it to the states for ratification.

On June 10, Michigan and Wisconsin become the first states to ratify the 19th Amendment, furthering the progress towards women's suffrage.

On June 16, Kansas, New York, and Ohio ratify the 19th Amendment, contributing to the growing momentum for women's suffrage.

Although Illinois initially voted in favor of the 19th Amendment on June 10, the ratification process was completed on June 17, solidifying support for women's suffrage.

On June 24, Pennsylvania ratifies the 19th Amendment, contributing to the increasing number of states supporting women's suffrage.

Massachusetts ratifies the 19th Amendment on June 25, further advancing the progress towards women's suffrage in the United States.

On June 28, Texas ratifies the 19th Amendment, joining the states in supporting women's suffrage and moving closer to nationwide ratification.

South Dakota voters approve full woman suffrage in a state-wide referendum with a vote of 63% for and 37% against.

On November 27-28, 1919, all Silent Sentinels were released from prison following public outrage over their mistreatment. These suffragists had been arrested for their peaceful protests advocating for women's voting rights.

On January 6, 1920, Kentucky and Rhode Island ratified the 19th Amendment, granting women the right to vote.

On January 13, 1920, Oregon ratified the 19th Amendment, further solidifying women's right to vote.

On January 16, 1920, Indiana officially approves the 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution, granting women the right to vote.

Wyoming ratifies the 19th Amendment on January 27, 1920, contributing to the nationwide acceptance of women's suffrage.

On January 28, 1920, South Carolina decides to reject the 19th Amendment, showing resistance to women's suffrage in the state.

February 4, 1920, marks the establishment of the League of Woman Voters by Carrie Chapman Catt, aiming to promote political responsibility through informed and active participation of citizens.

Nevada ratifies the 19th Amendment on February 7, 1920, supporting the enfranchisement of women in the United States.

New Jersey ratifies the 19th Amendment on February 9, 1920, granting women the right to vote in the state.

Idaho officially ratifies the 19th Amendment on February 11, 1920, supporting women's suffrage.

On February 12, 1920, Arizona chooses to ratify the 19th Amendment while Virginia decides to reject it, showcasing the differing views on women's suffrage in different states.

The League of Women Voters was founded on February 14, 1920, to help women exercise their new right to vote.

New Mexico ratifies the 19th Amendment on February 21, 1920, supporting the constitutional amendment granting women the right to vote.

Maryland decides to reject the 19th Amendment on February 24, 1920, indicating resistance to women's suffrage in the state.

Oklahoma ratifies the 19th Amendment on February 28, 1920, contributing to the nationwide acceptance of women's suffrage.

On March 10, 1920, West Virginia officially approves the 19th Amendment, granting women the right to vote in the state.

Washington ratifies the 19th Amendment on March 22, 1920, supporting the constitutional amendment granting women the right to vote.

On March 29, 1920, Mississippi votes to reject the 19th Amendment, showcasing resistance to women's suffrage in the state.

On June 2, 1920, the Delaware senate voted in favor of the 19th Amendment with an 11 to 6 majority. However, the state house refused to vote on the measure, ultimately leading to its demise. This event showcased the complexities and obstacles in the suffrage movement.

The Nineteenth Amendment, granting women the right to vote, was passed by Congress on June 4, 1919.

South Carolina officially approves the 19th Amendment granting women the right to vote, although the certification of the vote is delayed until August 22, 1973.

The 19th Amendment was ratified on August 18, 1920, granting women the right to vote in the United States.

On August 26, 1920, the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was certified into law by the U.S. Secretary of State. This amendment granted women the right to vote, marking a crucial milestone in the fight for gender equality.

On September 14, 1920, Connecticut ratified the 19th Amendment, granting women the right to vote. This further solidified the nationwide acceptance of women's suffrage.

On February 8, 1921, Vermont officially ratified the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, granting women the right to vote. This was a significant step towards gender equality in the United States.

The Cable Act, a federal law, allows women who lost their US citizenship by marrying a foreign national to regain citizenship and voting rights.

Delaware ratifies the 19th Amendment, granting women the right to vote.

On June 2, 1924, the American government passed the Indian Citizenship Act, granting citizenship to Native Americans. Despite their crucial role in passing the Nineteenth Amendment, Native American women were unable to enjoy the benefits of citizenship until this act.

The Chinese Exclusion Act was repealed in 1943, allowing Chinese immigrants to finally be eligible to vote after being barred for years.

In 1948, suffrage leader Mary Church Terrell testified before Congress advocating for the Equal Rights Amendment to address gender inequality and lighten the burdens women bear.

The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was a significant milestone in suffrage history as it prohibited racial discrimination in voting, ensuring equal voting rights for all citizens.

Georgia ratifies the 19th Amendment, further solidifying women's suffrage in the United States.

Louisiana officially ratifies the 19th Amendment, marking another step towards gender equality in voting rights.

North Carolina ratifies the 19th Amendment, contributing to the nationwide acceptance of women's suffrage.

The Equal Rights Amendment was passed by Congress in 1972, aiming to ensure equality for women in the United States.

A supporter at a rally for the Equal Rights Amendment in New York on March 12, 1977, shortly before Alice Paul's death. Indiana became the 35th state to ratify the measure that year.

The National American Woman Suffrage Association Collection Home Page was last updated on February 26, 2015.

On January 15, 2020, Virginia became the 38th state to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment, a significant step towards ensuring gender equality under the law.