One of the most important events in the American women’s history is approaching – the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment to the American constitution.
On August 26th, 2020, the nation will celebrate the amendment that eliminated the prohibition of voting rights based on sex and gave American women the right to vote.
Read more about the American Suffrage Movement in this article, and learn about the achievement of the ratification of the 19th Amendment here.
For this exciting occasion, Smithsonian museums in the nation’s capital are showcasing exhibitions about the long and persistent struggle of the Women’s Rights Movement, as well as commemorating the suffragist leaders who sacrificed their lives for this cause.
All are welcome to visit the exhibitions, be impressed by all that was done during the previous century, feel proud of the successes and accomplishments of women’s rights, and get inspired as we still have work to do fighting for gender equality.
Hereinafter is a list of the exhibitions open to the public in the Smithsonian museums in Washington, DC:
Shall Not Be Denied
The library of Congress collected items from its collection as well as borrowed items from other museums’ collections to create this exhibition that reviews in full seven decades of women persistent struggle to receive their right to vote.
On display are photographs, newspapers, diaries, and items that were part of the long campaign for women’s voting right.
When: June 4, 2019–September 2020, Monday–Saturday 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM
Where: Library of Congress, 101 Independence Ave SE, Washington, DC 20540
* Free admission
Votes for Women: A Portrait of Persistence
This exhibition is reviewing more than 80 years of women’s movement actions to gain the right to vote.
Organized chronologically presenting portraits, videos, photographs, and items related to key events and the movement’s leaders.
Among the items on display are flags, banners, rare cock book, paintings of leaders, and many more.
When: March 29, 2019 – January 5, 2020 11:30 AM – 7:00 PM daily
Where: National Portrait Gallery 8th and F Streets NW Washington, DC 20001
*Free admission
Rightfully Hers: American Women and the Vote
This 3,000-square-foot exhibit showcases more than 90 items, including records, artifacts, photographs, and the original 19th Amendment.
This exhibition focuses on the diverse activists who fought for the rights of women from different ethnic groups that were still unable to vote after the 19th Amendment had passed.
Among the items on display is a collection of political campaign buttons, petition for Woman Suffrage signed by Frederick Douglass Jr. and Rosetta Douglass Sprague.
When: Friday, May 10, 2019 – Sunday, January 3, 2021, Daily 10 AM – 5:30 PM
Where: National Archives Museum, 701 Constitution Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20408
* Free admission
Permanent Exhibition @ Belmont-Paul Women’s Equality National Monument
A museum dedicated to women’s suffrage and the struggle for women’s rights in the US, presenting photographs, videos, many artifacts, and memorabilia of the women suffragist movement.
When: Wednesday- Sunday 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Where: Belmont-Paul Women’s Equality National Monument, 144 Constitution Ave NE, Washington, DC 20002
* Free admission
Options for recommended hotels close to the museums:
- Kimpton George Hotel, 15 E Street Northwest, Northwest, Washington, D.C.
- Washington Court Hotel, 525 New Jersey Avenue Northwest, Northwest, Washington, D.C.
- Phoenix Park Hotel, 520 North Capitol Street NW, Washington, D.C.
- Hyatt Regency Washington on Capitol Hill, 400 New Jersey Avenue Northwest, Northwest, Washington, D.C.
