Pioneering Women and Early Government Leaders

The 19th Amendment

32-cent 19th Amendment stamp
As part of the Celebrate the Century series, the U.S. Postal Service issued this stamp on May 28, 1998 honoring the 19th Amendment and the women’s right to vote.

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.

 
6-cent Woman Suffrage stamp
This stamp marked the 50th anniversary of the passage of the 19th Amendment, issued on August 26, 1970.
32-cent Woman Suffrage stamp
This stamp was issued on August 26, 1995 in honor of the 75th anniversary of the 19th Amendment.