Yes, Women Could Vote After The 19th Amendment — But Not All Women. Or Men

On Aug. 26, 1920, the 19th amendment to the U.S. Constitution officially took effect when Secretary of State Bainbridge Colby signed a proclamation certifying its ratification. The amendment promised women that their right to vote would "not be denied" on account of sex. Yet, even after that milestone, millions of people — women and men alike — were still excluded from the vote, as many barriers to suffrage remained. The fight over the amendment was not just about sex; it was also deeply entwined with race. Early suffragist leaders Elizabeth Cady Stanton (left) and Susan B. Anthony later split off from their alliance with abolitionists. Library of Congress While the women's suffrage movement had its roots in the anti-slavery movement, early suffragist leaders including Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony would later split off from their alliance with abolitionists. They were outraged that, under the 15th amendment, Black men would get the vote while white women were still