Our suffragist wears a red white and blue sash over her dark blue dress and a red plume in her blue hat. A wonderful addition to a patriotic collection, this handmade ornament reminds us of the activists who helped shape our nation’s rich history.

In 1915, American women were pushing for equal rights, particularly the right to vote in national elections. They lectured, wrote, marched, lobbied, and practiced civil disobedience to achieve what many Americans considered a radical change of the Constitution. Finally, Congress passed on June 4, 1919, and ratified on August 18, 1920, the Nineteenth Amendment, which guarantees all American women the right to vote. The Nineteenth Amendment Joint Resolution of Congress and many other records related to women’s equal rights are preserved and protected in the National Archives.