Image courtesy of the Pennsylvania League of Women Voters.
In August 1920, the 19th Amendment to the Constitution was ratified and the right to vote in the U.S. could no longer be denied on the basis of gender. The fight for women’s suffrage was successful, but it was complex and interwoven with issues of civil and political rights for all Americans.
As the nation approaches the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment, the National Park Service (NPS) is preparing to commemorate and tell the story of this complicated history and its legacy. From individual events and activities to servicewide programs and some special social media moments, national parks, programs, and our partners will commemorate the anniversary in a variety of ways.
This page will be used to provide communications information to partners engaging with the NPS commemoration. As plans evolve, this page will grow with additional information about digital and social media, key communications moments, and more.
NPS Communications Goal for the 19th Amendment Commemoration
The goal for NPS communications around the 19th Amendment commemoration is to invite visitors and the public to engage with parks and NPS programs by offering an integrated suite of communications tools that…
- position national parks and programs as important places to explore this complex story,
- offer engaging opportunities for exploring these stories, and
- foster opportunities for dialogue and discussion about national park and program stories of the struggle for women’s suffrage and related issues of civil and political rights for all Americans, especially women.
Information on NPS.gov
The Women's History subject site offers a comprehensive suite of information, background, and stories. It prominently features content about the 19th Amendment, including state-by-state ratification storytelling, articles, and essays. It also inlcudes news and events. To ensure that park and program content appears on the new site, it should be tagged (internal link) using 19th Amendment, Women's History, and Suffrage. You can also Travel Where Women Made History.
Social Media
Social media offers so many ways to share the story of the 19th Amendment, its context, and the way that parks, programs, and our partners are commemorating its ratification and exploring women's history.
The primary hashtag for the NPS commemoration of the 19th Amendment anniversary is #NPS19th. You can also use #FindYourPark and #EncuentraTuParque.
Remember to always use your social media in tandem with content on NPS.gov or the website of an NPS partner. Linking to articles, events, and news on your website allows you to tell a fuller story. And by tagging (internal link) NPS.gov items—use the tag 19th Amendment—they will appear in the 19th Amendment area of the Women's History subject site (above).
Follow the Race to Ratification
In June 1919, the U.S. Senate passed the language that would become the 19th Amendment—the House had passed it a month earlier. The Senate’s action kicked off what became a 14-month state-by-state ratification process. In June 2019, on the 100th anniversary of passage of the amendment by Congress, the National Park Service kicked off our 19th Amendment commemoration with a special "Race to Ratification" series in social media and on NPS.gov.
Follow the Race to Ratification in real time! On the 100th anniversary of each day that a state voted on ratification, we'll add a few newsy paragraphs about what happened. The text will link to the state pages for more information, including places where that history happened that are stewarded by a park or through an NPS program.
Across the NPS national social media accounts, we're following the 14-month Race to Ratification with a series of posts on each of the days that Congress and the states voted on ratification, linking to the Race to Ratification Timeline page and using the hashtag #NPS19th.
Partners can join in as the ratification process moves through the states. Do you have a story you can share about the struggle for women's suffrage in your area? Share it out on your website and through your social media on the 100th anniversary of the date your state considered ratification of the 19th Amendment!
Last updated: July 24, 2019