Rightfully Hers: American Women and the Vote
Online Exhibits
About the Exhibit
Most Americans consider the ability to vote fundamental to the enjoyment of full citizenship. American women, however, were long denied that right. In 1920, American democracy dramatically expanded when the newly ratified 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution prohibited the states from denying the vote on the basis of sex.
This landmark voting rights victory was made possible by decades of suffragists’ persistent political engagement, and yet it is just one critical milestone in women’s battle for the vote. In celebration of the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, Rightfully Hers: American Women and the Vote highlights the relentless struggle of diverse activists throughout U.S. history to secure voting rights for all American women.
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Traveling Exhibit
One Half of the People: Advancing Equality for Women
When our Constitution was written, it was silent on women. Excluded from most of the rights and privileges of citizenship women operated in limited and rigid roles while enslaved women were excluded from all. Yet women have actively participated as citizens—organizing, marching, petitioning—since the founding of our country. Sometimes quietly, and sometimes with a roar, women’s roles and the opening words of the Constitution “We, the People” have been redefined.
One Half of the People is retired and no longer available for travel.
Travel Dates and Locations:
- January 24, 2021 – March 16, 2021, Spartanburg County Public Libraries in Spartanburg, SC
- April 6, 2021 – May 25, 2021, Cape Fear Museum in Wilmington, NC
- June 16, 2021 – August 18, 2021, Temple Railroad and Heritage Museum in Temple, TX
- September 1, 2021 – October 20, 2021, Windgate Gallery, University of Arkansas-Pulaski Technical College in North Little Rock, AR
- April 6, 2022 – May 25, 2022, Special Collections & University Archives, University of Oregon in Eugene, OR
Documents and Photos from the Traveling Exhibit
About the Pop-Up Display
Rightfully Hers Pop-Up Display
The ratification of the 19th Amendment was a landmark moment in American history that dramatically changed the electorate. It enshrined in the United States Constitution fuller citizenship for women and a more expansive democracy for the nation. This pop-up display contains simple messages about the expansion of the vote to millions of women, before and after the 19th amendment, and its impact today. An educational tool for teaching about American government, the engaging and interpretative display is lightweight, easy to set-up, and requires no tools or walls.
The National Archives, in partnership with the Women’s Suffrage Centennial Commission (WSCC), provided an additional 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.
All pop-up displays have already been claimed, but high-resolution poster versions can be downloaded here:
Exhibit Credits
Rightfully Hers: American Women and the Vote was created by the exhibits staff at the National Archives Museum and presented in part by the National Archives Foundation through the generous support of Unilever, Pivotal Ventures, Carl M. Freeman Foundation in honor of Virginia Allen Freeman, AARP, AT&T, Ford Motor Company Fund, Facebook, Barbara Lee Family Foundation Fund at the Boston Foundation, Google, HISTORY ®, and Jacqueline B. Mars.
One Half of the People: Advancing Equality for Women is organized by the National Archives and Records Administration, and managed by the National Archives Traveling Exhibits Services (NATES). This exhibition was developed in collaboration with the National Archives' Rightfully Hers National Outreach Initiative to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment. It is presented in part by the National Archives Foundation through the generous support of Unilever, Pivotal Ventures, Carl M. Freeman Foundation in honor of Virginia Allen Freeman, and AARP. Additional support provided by AT&T, Facebook, and FedEx.
The Rightfully Hers Pop-Up Display was created by the National Archives and is presented in part by the National Archives Foundation through the generous support of Unilever, Pivotal Ventures, Carl M. Freeman Foundation in honor of Virginia Allen Freeman, AARP, and Denise Gwyn Ferguson.
