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“Congress finds the following:“(1) From 1919 to 1920, the Sixty-Sixth United States Congress debated, and State legislatures considered, an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to provide suffrage for women. “(2) A proposed women’s suffrage amendment was first introduced in the United States Senate in 1878 and was brought to a vote, unsuccessfully, in 1887, 1914, 1918, and 1919. Finally, on May 21, 1919, the House of Representatives approved a proposed amendment, followed by the Senate a few weeks later on June 4. Within days, the legislatures of Wisconsin, Illinois, and Michigan had voted to ratify the amendment. “(3) On August 18, 1920, Tennessee became the 36th State to ratify the amendment, providing the support of three-fourths of States necessary under article V of the Constitution of the United States. “(4) The introduction, passage, and ultimate ratification of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States were the culmination of decades of work and struggle by advocates for the rights of women across the United States and worldwide. “(5) Ratification of the 19th Amendment ensured women could more fully participate in their democracy and fundamentally changed the role of women in the civic life of our Nation. “(6) The centennial offers an opportunity for people in the United States to learn about and commemorate the efforts of the women’s suffrage movement and the role of women in our democracy. “(7) Commemorative programs, activities, and sites allow people in the United States to learn about the women’s suffrage movement and to commemorate and honor the role of the ratification of the 19th Amendment in further fulfilling the promise of the Constitution of the United States and promoting the core values of our democracy.

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