This week, our country celebrated the anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment, securing women across the nation their constitutional right to vote and participate in democracy more fully. 

This milestone did not come easily – women from every state had spent decades tirelessly advocating for equal rights, as enjoyed by their husbands, fathers, brothers and sons. Generations of women, spanning many ages, races and economic backgrounds remained steadfast in their fight for access to the ballot box, and their persistence paid off when in 1920, thirty-six states approved the constitutional amendment that delivered women’s suffrage.

However, Natural State women and forward-thinking men were long part of this effort, building momentum quickly following the conclusion of the Civil War. At the 1868 Arkansas Constitutional Convention, delegate Miles Ledford Langley initially proposed a law to expand voting rights to citizens over 21 who could read and write English, and spoke on the importance of women’s suffrage – reportedly met by the laughter of his audience. 

Regardless, the movement continued to gain significant traction as multiple powerful groups formed, such as the Arkansas Woman Suffrage Association, the Political Equality League and the National Woman’s Party, to push for women’s right to vote.

Before the U.S. ratified the 19th Amendment, State Representative John Riggs introduced legislation in early 1917 to permit women to vote in state primary elections. Passed by both the Arkansas House and Senate, Governor Charles Brough announced it was an honor to approve the measure with his signature, and Arkansas became an early leader in extending limited women’s suffrage. The following year, over 40,000 women came to the polls to vote in the primaries and successfully elected over 50 female delegates – demonstrating the strength of our state’s suffrage movement.

When it came time for the then 48 states to vote to ratify the 19th Amendment, Arkansas moved quickly, becoming just the 12th state to express its support. By August 26, 1920, it became law, and with newfound constitutional rights and influence, Arkansan women were emboldened to continue carving out spaces for themselves and the female voice in American democracy.

In 1929, Fannie Pearl Oldfield won a special election after the death of her husband, William, who represented Arkansas’s Second Congressional District, and became our state’s first woman elected to the United States Congress. At the time, “Pearl” was one of only eight women, trailblazing a strong and positive example of Natural State leadership on the national stage. 

Just a few years later in 1931, Hattie Ophelia Caraway was appointed by Arkansas’s Governor to fill the seat of her late husband, Senator Thaddeus Caraway, who had passed away in office. Hattie went on to become not only the first woman in the nation to be elected to the United States Senate, but the first woman to serve a full term and be successfully reelected. Notably, she was also the first woman to preside over the Senate floor – a now daily occurrence in the modern Congress. Her portrait hangs outside of the U.S. Senate chamber, lest we forget her efforts to open new opportunities for future generations.

As we celebrate this tremendous milestone in American history, I am proud to highlight our state’s specific contributions and commitment to fighting for all of the opportunities promised to every citizen of our nation. The 19th Amendment represents another significant realization of the Founders’ vision and our rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.