2020 Proclamation of ratification of the 19th amendment

Proclamation:

WHEREAS, Prior to the ratification of the 19th amendment, allowing women the right to vote in The United States of America, women could not own property, they had no legal claim to the money they earned and no female could vote in any federal election.

WHEREAS, In 1848 the Seneca Falls Convention was formed by Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott.  They would be joined by Susan B. Anthony

WHEREAS, In 1869 the Wyoming Territory granted women the right to vote and when Wyoming was admitted as a state that remained.

WHEREAS, In 1878, Congress formed committees to study and debate the issue to which it would take over four decades for the measure to go before the states for ratification.

WHEREAS, In 1869 The National Women’s Suffrage Association and American Women’s Suffrage Association were formed and in 1890 they merged to form the National American Women’s Suffrage Association to which Carrie Chapman Catt would step up to lead in 1900.

WHEREAS, Between 1910 and 1918 17 states and territories extended the right to vote to women and in 1916 the first female was voted to the United States Congress, Jeanette Rankin from Wyoming.

WHEREAS, On June 28th 1919 Texas was the third state to ratify the 19th Amendment and on August 18th 1920 Tennessee was the 36th state to ratify the 19th Amendment to which the requirement of passage by ¾ of all states was fulfilled. 

WHEREAS, On August 26th 1920, The 19th Amendment was certified and Women were granted the right to vote in all 48 states. However, despite its’ passage, due to poll taxes, local laws and other restrictions, women of color and other minorities were banned the right to register to vote until the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

WHEREAS, There have been 366 women voted into the United States Congress. 10 of which have served from Texas including Lera Thomas who succeeded her husband and Barbara Jordan, the first black woman to be voted into Congress from Texas.

THEREFORE, be it proclaimed by the City Council of Kyle, Texas, that Wednesday the 26th day of August 2020 should also be recognized as

“The 100th Anniversary of the Passage of the 19th Amendment”

in recognition of the heroic women and their actions that allowed the women of today and the future to have the right to have a say in their local, county, state and federal political agendas.

It is hereby officially found and determined that the meeting at which this resolution was passed was open to the public as required by the Open Meetings Act, Chapter 551, Local Government Code, and that public notice of the time, place, and purpose of said meeting was given as required by said Act.

This resolution shall take effect from and after the date of its passage as authorized by the Charter of the City of Kyle, Texas.

SIGNED AND ENTERED THIS 1st DAY OF SEPTEMBER 2020.