♪ Land of the free ♪
♪ Home of the brave ♪
♪ That's what makes the United States ♪
♪ Now let's take a journey with the spirit of freedom ♪
♪ Liberty will lead the way ♪
♪ Let's take a star (star!) spangled adventure ♪
♪ Star (star!) spangled adventure ♪
♪ All the things you'd wanna know ♪
♪ about America's in this show ♪
♪ So come on all you Patriots let's go ♪
(upbeat music)
- Oh, you're just in time.
It's 1920 in Minnesota
and we're about to see history being made.
Watch.
- It's about time you opened.
- The polls always open at 7:00 AM sharp.
- Well, I got in line an hour ago.
I want to be the first in line to vote.
Thank you.
- Did you see it? Wasn't that marvelous?
What? You missed it?
Well, what you just saw isn't very historic today,
but, in 1920, it certainly was.
That's when the 19th Amendment was ratified,
which gave women in America the right to vote.
So why did it take to 1920 for this to happen?
Remember, when the constitution was being written,
only men could vote, own land,
run for office, or go to college.
This is how it was in England,
so when the American colonies became a nation,
they adopted the same ideas.
Then, after the Civil War, slaves were freed,
but they couldn't vote either, even the men.
Well, that took the 13th Amendment to the Constitution
to grant all American men
the right to vote, including former slaves,
but all women still couldn't vote.
It took close to 100 years
to finally get to the point where women could vote.
This movement is called the women's suffrage movement.
It began over 70 years before 1920,
even before the Civil War, back in 1848.
It started when a few friends got together.
- So, here she was, a brilliant woman,
and then they decided to not let her enter college!
- It's a disgrace that's gone on too long.
- Something really must be done.
- Yes, but, ladies, I'm afraid
that something will fall on us to do.
- What do you have in mind?
We can't make our voice heard because our voice isn't heard.
- It's time for us all to come together,
to strategize and to work.
I propose a convention,
just like the Constitutional Convention,
and we will invite women from all over to come.
- I know my husband would even come,
and maybe some other men.
Richard always says faith without works is dead.
We have to put feet to our beliefs!
(upbeat music)
You won't believe it.
There's about 300 people lining up to come in.
- Oh my!
Never in a million years
did I think we would have so many for our convention.
- Any men?
- Maybe 30 or so.
- Okay, see if this is better.
I'm patterning our Declaration of Sentiments
from the Declaration of Independence.
- Let's hear it.
- We hold these truths to be self-evident
that all men and women are created equal,
that they are endowed by their creator
with certain inalienable rights,
that among these are life, liberty,
and the pursuit of happiness,
that to secure these rights, governments are instituted,
deriving their powers from the consent of the governed.
And then I've added a section on women's right to vote.
- But is it wise to push voting at this point?
That will overshadow all the other issues.
- Good afternoon, ladies.
- Mr. Douglas, we are so glad you could make it.
- Thank you for organizing.
I couldn't help but to overhear about voting.
I hold for women to be justly entitled
to all that we claim for men.
If the government, as our constitution declares,
is based on the consent of the governed,
then there is no reason in the world
for denying women the right to vote
to be a part of that consent.
- Then it stays in.
(group indistinctly chatters) (upbeat music)
♪ Vote, vote, everybody vote ♪
♪ Put the ballot in the box and let it go ♪
♪ Vote, vote, everybody vote ♪
♪ 'Cause everybody has the right, so everybody go ♪
♪ It took some talks, it took some time ♪
♪ It took some walks and marching down the line ♪
♪ We all have a voice, we all should have a say ♪
♪ So every man and woman has the chance today to ♪
♪ Vote, vote, everybody vote ♪
♪ Put the ballot in the box and let it go ♪
♪ Vote, vote, everybody vote ♪
♪ 'Cause everybody has the right ♪
♪ So everybody go and vote ♪
- Elizabeth Cady Stanton
and all the early founders at that first meeting
never saw the 19th Amendment be ratified
and they never had a chance to vote,
but they paved the way
so that now every American gets to vote!
(lively music)