1920 passage of the 19th Amendment

Ancestry.com just introduced "STORYSCOUT telling the story of an ancestors life within the time frame of the historical events in which they lived. Wonderful idea! I share today the story of my grandmother, Lydia Kallman and the

1920 passage of the 19th Amendment

giving women to right to vote

Apparently the all male Congress were not thrilled to give their mothers, wives and daughters that right. The amendment won by just one vote, the deciding vote cast by Harry T. Burn of Tennessee. He had intended to vote against it until receiving a telegram reminding him "not to forget about his mother". Lydia was 30 years old in 1920 but she could not vote as she was not a naturalized citizen. If my grandfather had been naturalized she would have had derivative citizenship as that was the law prior to 1922.  Although grandfather, Richard Kallman, had been in the U.S. for 14 years he would not become a citizen until 1925. Lydia applied for her own citizenship in 1930.

Were my immigrant great aunts, the sisters and sister-in-laws of Grandma Lydia, able to vote?

• Sarona (Kallman) Alvine - YES - her husband Hugo Henry had become a citizen in 1908 thereby making her also a citizen

• Olga (Kallman) Palm - NO - her husband Uno Markus became a citizen in 1925, Olga followed in 1928.  

• Tekla (Kallman) Peterson - YES - her husband Richard became a citizen in 1919 after serving in WWI, thereby making her also a citizen.

• Anna (Abrahamson) Jacobson - YES - her husband, John Emil, had become a citizen in 1919 thereby making her also a citizen

• Ruth (Abrahamson) Soderstrom - YES - her husband, Andrew, had become a citizen in 1918 after serving in WWI, thereby making her also a citizen

But did they vote? Only 1/3 of eligible women voters and 2/3 of eligible men voted. Native-born middle class folk, living in cities were more likely to vote than the poor, the immigrant or those living in rural areas. We really don't know if those of our family that could vote, did.

1920 was a banner year for women but individual states particularly down south began to implement barriers such as literacy tests, poll taxes, English-language requirements and more - aimed at suppressing the vote among people of color, immigrants and low income populations. The battle for free and equal voting for all still goes on today.