DAR celebrates 100th anniversary of women’s voting rights
News March 3, 2020
HIAWASSEE, Ga. – The Old Unicoi Trail Chapter, National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), is celebrating women’s right to vote – the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which took place August 18, 1920. The Amendment reads, “The rights of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex…” The Amendment of two sentences and 39 words represent generations of dedicated work.
“Americans rightfully consider the right to vote fundamental to one’s citizenship,” Unicoi Trail Chapter Regent Annette Hopgood said. “American women, however, were long denied that right. Over the next months, individuals will ask for your vote so they can represent you in your local, state and national governments. Additionally, you may be asked to cast a vote to express your opinion on an issue. Women – don’t take your right to vote for granted.”
The 1787 U.S. Constitution left states the power to determine eligibility for voting. Eighty years later, in 1866, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony first proposed an amendment to the U.S. Constitution to secure women’s right to cast ballots. Several similar efforts also failed before 1920. Prior to ratification of the 19th Amendment many states did allow women to vote. In 1870, Wyoming became the first state to give women the right to vote. Additional states were Colorado, Utah, and Idaho.
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In 1868, the ratification of the 14th Amendment caused women to believe they had obtained the vote. In part, it read, “No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States”. Women argued that the “privileges” of the Amendment guaranteed citizens including women the privilege of voting. The court, however, ruled that the right to vote continued to be a state matter and that U.S. citizenship did not guarantee the right to vote.
Two years later in 1870, the 15th Amendment to the Constitution was ratified. The Amendment prohibited states from barring voters based on “race, color or previous condition of servitude”. With no mention of sex, states continued to deny women the vote. The debate continued another fifty years. On June 4, 1919, in the middle of World War I, the “Woman’s Suffrage Amendment” known as the “Susan B. Anthony Amendment” was passed by the 66th Congress by a vote of 56 to 25 and sent to states for ratification. Only one U.S. Senator from the South, Georgia’s William J. Harris of Cedartown, Polk County, supported its passage.
The issue was controversial and similar attempts had failed in Congress. Previous votes even caused shifts in U.S. House and Senate majorities in Congress. A few states ratified the 19th Amendment within a week of passage. On August 18, 1920, Tennessee became the 36th required state to ratify. The vote was 49 to 48. A tie was broken by a
bachelor legislator, Harry Burn, encouraged by his mother to vote for the women. The Tennessee vote was certified on August 26 and the Amendment became effective securing millions of women the right to vote. Few early supporters from 1866 forward lived to see the final victory in 1920.
Following Tennessee’s vote, twelve states remained to ratify the 19th Amendment. On June 4, 1920, Georgia had become the first of eight states to reject ratification. Georgia belatedly ratified the Amendment on February 20, 1970. Only three states, Louisiana, North Carolina, and Mississippi, were later (excluding states that were nonexistent and territories). It took more than 60 years for the remaining twelve of 48 states to ratify the Amendment.
While women across the county were able to cast ballots in the 1920 presidential election, Georgia women were not able to vote until 1922, when the legislature rescinded a requirement that one must be registered in Georgia six months before an election in order to vote. Most other states waived rules, allowing women to vote in the November 1920 National election.
Information in this article is attributed to the U.S. House, U.S. Senate, the National Archives, the American Bar Association, and authors of articles in The New Georgia Encyclopedia.
The National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution promotes historic preservation, education, and patriotism. For information on DAR membership or to attend meetings of Old Unicoi Trail Chapter. email [email protected].
Fannin, Towns, Union students named good citizens by DAR
Community, News February 16, 2020
BLAIRSVILLE, Ga. – Thomas Jefferson taught, “If a nation expects to be free and ignorant at the same time, it expects what never was and never will be. Where the press is free and every man is able to read, there, and there alone, democracy is safe.” The Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), Old Unicoi Trail Chapter, brought this founding father’s words to life, Feb. 15. The DAR Chapter met at the Union County Community Center to “Shine a Light on Literacy.” The Chapter’s National Good Citizen for 2018-2019 set the stage for the exploration of literacy and local opportunities through Ferst Readers to promote literacy in the youngest of our children.
Hannah Cruse of Morganton, a Fannin County High School senior, was chosen as the schools’ NSDAR Good Citizen. Hannah was chosen over other students for being dependable, serving her community, providing leadership, and being a patriot. Tom Orchanian Jr. was chosen the Good Citizen of Union County High and Julia Chinkhan was selected by Towns County High. Orchanian and Chinkhan will receive recognition at a later date. All three students entered the optional Scholarship contest and wrote an essay answering the question, “How would you energize America’s youth to fully engage as effective citizens? Why is that important?”
According to DAR, students did not have the topic in advance of writing. Cruse’s essay read, “It is such an honor to live in a country where intellectual prosperity and self-motivation has the potential to allow you to find the greatest version of yourself… to be overcomers of one’s story….” Cruse, a very active member of her school and community, described two barriers that prevent youth from being civic-minded. The first is literacy. The Fannin senior shared her experiences helping struggling student readers who can fall up to ten grades below their current grade level.
“The ideas or concepts that America’s youth learn from books have the power to energize them, allow them to find their values and engage as effective citizens,” Cruse said, calling for access to free books for young people. Cruse additionally quoted Frederick Douglas who said, “Once you learn to read, you will be forever free.”
As called for by Cruse, free access to books is happening in the Union County Ferst Readers Program. Towns and Fannin counties also have the program. Janice Cochran, leader of the Union and Towns County programs, provided program information and displayed books.
Janice Cochran and Annette Hopgood.
“Significant research confirms the relationship between children who read or are read to and their ability to prosper and advance academically,” Regent Annette Bomar Hopgood of Old Unicoi Trail DAR said. “According to their website, Ferst Readers addresses one of the most basic issues of childhood literacy – ensuring the availability of quality books in the home so that parents can read to their child. Children from birth to five years old who are enrolled in the Ferst Reader Program receive a new book every month until their 5th birthday. That’s up to 60 books. Books are made available through donations. New mothers at Union General Hospital are encouraged to register their newborns. Parents are also encouraged to read to children from birth and engage in related activities.”
On behalf of the Chapter, Regent Hopgood recognized volunteers of Union County Ferst Readers with a Chapter award for shining the light on literacy in Union County. More importantly, volunteers in Union, Towns, and Fannin were presented the National Daughters of the American Revolution Community Service Award. The Chapter is limited to two awards per year. The award recognizes worthy individuals and organizations for outstanding voluntary service.
Ferst Readers volunteers were presented Community Service Awards by DAR.
The Chapter has honored S.A.F.E., the Women’s Enrichment Center, and the Tri-county Native American Initiative for the “We Are Still Here” bronze monument in Meeks Park. Award-winner Cruse believes depression is the second barrier that limits young peoples’ engagement as effective. She promotes the Happiness Rocks campaign that shares basic principles that when employed “would allow America’s youth to fully engage as a citizen, simply by being who they are, and living our their “Pursuit of Happiness.”
It was announced by Benetta Cook, Chair, Blairsville, that criteria for the Chapter’s Grant-In-Aid for seniors in Towns, Union and Fannin counties will be distributed to high school senior counselors this month. Interested parents or students must contact their school counselor about the five-hundred-dollar grant. Additionally, the Chapter observed Georgia Day, Feb, 12, by displaying personal books on Georgia, it’s people and places. Sandie Harbuck, Chapter Librarian, accepted donations of $175 from Daughters for the society’s state and national libraries. The Sons of the American Revolution was represented by David Cook, past president of the Blue Ridge Mountains Chapter.
The National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution promotes historic preservation, education, and patriotism. For information on Chapter membership or to attend meetings of Old Unicoi Trail Chapter, email [email protected].
Featured Image: Hannah Cruse, Fannin County’s Good Citizen DAR award winner.