Diving Into a Historic Election Relic

Today, we are getting up close with a piece of U.S. election history! That's right, we are taking a look at a wooden ballot box from 1920. Let's dive into the history behind this historical relic!

A Constitutional Amendment

The 19th Amendment, which officially gave women the right to vote, became law on August 26, 1920. But the battle started much earlier.

In 1848, at the Seneca Falls Convention in New York, activists met to demand equal rights. Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Frederick Douglass, among others, argued for women’s voting rights. Over the years, suffragists held protests, marches, and even went on hunger strikes!

But here’s the catch: this amendment mostly helped white women vote. African American, Native American, and Asian American women still faced voting barriers until the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and women with disabilities gained more protections in 1990.

A Historical Relic

Here at Ripley's, we had the honor to get up close with a historic wood ballot box from 1920! This ballot box was used by some of the first female voters in Boston in 1920.

The words "Dist(rict) 17 Ward" are written on the side, and there is even a piece of paper adhered to the inside that says "Women's Ballots in this Box."

Today, we honor the bravery and grit of all the women who fought for equality.