The women honored on U.S. postage stamps represent some of the many women who worked to gain universal suffrage. Women’s rights advocates viewed suffrage as a principal right for women as citizens of the nation. Women began slowly expanding and exercising their legal rights, participating in government and protesting for change. They continued to redefine their role in society, expanding their power. On August 18, 1920 the 19th Amendment was passed, declaring “the right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or any other State on account of sex.”
The United States Postal Service has commemorated the passage of the 19th Amendment three times on postage stamps, more than any other amendment. The images chosen depict the struggle for suffrage and the dream realized as women exercised their right to vote. The historic importance of the 19th Amendment as a cornerstone for promoting equality and women’s rights cannot be undervalued.
