What is the 19th Amendment in simple terms Quizlet?

Asked by: Emely Smitham  |  Last update: March 10, 2026
Score: 4.9/5 (7 votes)

In simple terms, the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, ratified in 1920, granted American women the right to vote (women's suffrage) by prohibiting the government from denying the right to vote based on sex, a huge win after a long struggle by suffragists.

What does the 19th Amendment mean in simple words?

The 19th amendment legally guarantees American women the right to vote. Achieving this milestone required a lengthy and difficult struggle—victory took decades of agitation and protest.

How to explain the 19th Amendment to a child?

The 19th Amendment guaranteed women the right to vote in 1920 after a long fight by the suffragettes. Although the amendment was introduced in 1878, it took decades before it was finally ratified. Now, American citizens cannot be denied the right to vote based on their sex.

What are the 16-17-18-19 amendments?

Reconstruction Amendments

  • 16th Amendment: Income Tax.
  • 17th Amendment: Popular Election of Senators.
  • 18th Amendment: Prohibition of Liquor.
  • 19th Amendment: Women's Right to Vote.
  • 20th Amendment: Presidential Term and Succession, Assembly of Congress.
  • 21st Amendment: Repeal of Prohibition.

What are the responsibilities of the 19th Amendment?

It prohibits all levels of government in the United States from restricting the right to vote based on sex, which in so doing extended the franchise to women.

U.S. Constitution Explained for Students | Quick & Easy Summary

41 related questions found

Who was excluded from the 19th Amendment?

The 19th Amendment, while granting women's suffrage in 1920, excluded many women of color (Black, Native American, Asian American, Latinx) and women in U.S. territories, who faced continued barriers like discriminatory citizenship laws (e.g., Native Americans until 1924, Chinese Americans until 1943) and racist voter suppression tactics (poll taxes, literacy tests) until much later civil rights legislation, particularly the Voting Rights Act of 1965, secured true voting rights for many. 

Did Democrats support women's right to vote?

By 1916 both party platforms supported women's suffrage. That year, Wilson won reelection, and Democrats gained control of the House and Senate. At the beginning of the new Congress in 1917, senators insisted that “if the president wants [the amendment] to pass…

Which President signed the 19th Amendment?

After decades of persistence, President Woodrow Wilson endorsed an amendment to the Constitution and Congress approved the 19th amendment in 1919 which made it illegal to deny the right to vote on the basis of sex. The amendment then needed to be ratified by three-fourths of the states.

Can the President and vice president be from the same state?

The Electors shall meet in their respective states and vote by ballot for President and Vice-President, one of whom, at least, shall not be an inhabitant of the same state with themselves; they shall name in their ballots the person voted for as President, and in distinct ballots the person voted for as Vice-President, ...

What is Amendment 16 called?

Amendment Sixteen to the Constitution was ratified on February 3, 1913. It grants Congress the authority to issue an income tax without having to determine it based on population.

What's the nickname for the 19th Amendment?

In 1914 the constitutional amendment proposed by Sargent, which was nicknamed the "Susan B. Anthony Amendment", was once again considered by the Senate, where it was again rejected. In April 1917 the "Anthony Amendment", which eventually became the Nineteenth Amendment, was reintroduced in the House and Senate.

What are 5 of the most important women's rights?

The "Famous Five" (or "Famous 5") refers to five pioneering Canadian women—Emily Murphy, Nellie McClung, Louise McKinney, Irene Parlby, and Henrietta Muir Edwards—who successfully petitioned the courts in the landmark Persons Case, legally establishing that women were "persons" under Canadian law, allowing them to be appointed to the Senate and paving the way for greater equality. They were prominent suffragists and activists from Alberta, known for their work in advancing women's and children's rights, voting, property, and political participation in the 1920s and beyond.
 

What is Amendment 3 in kids words?

This amendment means that no solider can be quartered, or be placed to live in, people's homes without their permission. For example, if soldiers came to your home, they could only live there if you gave them permission.

Which states voted against the 19th Amendment?

Several states voted against the 19th Amendment when it was first proposed, including Georgia, Maryland, Mississippi, South Carolina, Delaware, Louisiana, and Virginia, with some formally rejecting it and others delaying ratification for decades, often due to strong anti-suffrage sentiment or concerns about federal power. While these states initially opposed it, they eventually ratified the amendment much later, long after it became law in August 1920.
 

Why is the 19th Amendment so important?

The 19th Amendment codified women's suffrage nationwide, but long before its ratification, unmarried women who owned property in New Jersey could and did cast ballots between 1776 and 1807. Beginning in 1869, women in Western territories won the right to vote.

Who fought for the 19th Amendment?

While women were not always united in their goals, and the fight for women's suffrage was complex and interwoven with issues of civil and political rights for all Americans, the efforts of women like Ida B. Wells and Alice Paul led to the passage of the 19th Amendment.

What can the President not do?

A PRESIDENT CANNOT . . .

  • make laws.
  • declare war.
  • decide how federal money will be spent.
  • interpret laws.
  • choose Cabinet members or Supreme Court Justices without Senate approval.

Why did the electoral system change?

Reformers hoped this would decrease the number of safe states by allowing minority parties to win districts within a state, decrease the role of swing states, and decrease the chance of the winning candidate losing the popular vote.

What is the President's salary?

The U.S. President earns an annual salary of $400,000, set by Congress in 2001, plus a $50,000 expense account (non-taxable), a $100,000 travel account, and a $19,000 entertainment budget, along with housing (the White House) and other benefits like security, with some presidents choosing to donate their salary. 

Was Susan B. Anthony a Republican or Democrat?

Its antislavery stance attracted activist women to the party before the Civil War. Moreover, the party supported women suffrage, endearing itself to reformers like Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Lucy Stone, who self-identified as Republicans.

What is a fun fact about the 19th Amendment?

By 1920, when the 19th Amendment was ratified, women had unrestricted suffrage in fifteen states, Presidential suffrage in twenty-eight, and different levels of suffrage in local elections throughout many of the other states.

What president helped pass the 19th Amendment?

On September 30, 1918, President Woodrow Wilson stood before the Senate to call for the passage of the 19th Amendment.

Who opposed women's right to vote today in the United?

The National Association Opposed to Woman Suffrage (NAOWS) was the first national organization of women who challenged the fight for women's suffrage. Several state associations assembled for an anti-suffrage convention in New York City and formed the NAOWS.

How many Republicans voted for the 19th Amendment?

It was a decisive victory, and the split among Democrats and Republicans was staggering. In all, over 200 Republicans voted in favor of the 19th Amendment, while only 102 Democrats voted alongside them. Subsequently, on June 4, 1919, the 19th Amendment passed the Senate by a vote of 56 to 25.

Did men fight for women's right to vote?

It is a testimony to their democratic values that a large number of American men consistently supported women's cause. There were more than 50 electoral campaigns and in every one, a large number of men — often above 40% — voted in favor of equal suffrage.