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All states pass laws that forbid women to vote.
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The first women's rights convention is held in Seneca Falls, New York. After 2 days of discussion and debate, 68 women and 32 men sign a Declaration of Sentiments, which outlines grievances and sets the agenda for the women's rights movement. A set of 12 resolutions is adopted calling for equal treatment of women and men under the law and voting rights for women.
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Congress ratifies the 15th amendment: “The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.”
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The Women’s Suffrage Amendment is first introduced to congress.
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The National Women Suffrage Association and the American Women Suffrage Association merge to form the National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA). As the movement's mainstream organization, NAWSA wages state-by-state campaigns to obtain voting rights for women.
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Colorado is the first state to adopt an amendment granting women the right to vote.
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The National Association of Colored Women is formed, bringing together more than 100 black women's clubs. Leaders in the black women's club movement include Josephine St. Pierre Ruffin, Mary Church Terrell, and Anna Julia Cooper.
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The Food and Drug Administration approved birth control pills.
White women earn 60 cents for every dollar earned by men, a decline since the 1950s. Women of color earn 42 cents for every dollar. -
More women than men are entering college for the first time in American history.
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The number of black women in elective office has increased to 1,950 from 131 in 1970.
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The Family and Medical Leave Act goes into effect, allowing women workers to take employment leave after giving birth.
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Condoleezza Rice becomes the first Black female Secretary of State.
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Nancy Pelosi becomes the first female speaker of the House.
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Hillary Clinton went from the first lady in the 1990s to the first female presidential nominee of a major U.S. party in 2016.
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After the election of Donald Trump, as interest in the Women’s March swelled online, it became clear that a pro-women’s-rights event was getting far more traction than protests billed as just anti-Trump. By the look of the demonstrations, the Access Hollywood tape was a unifying factor. What Trump dismissed as “locker-room banter”–“I moved on her like a bitch … Grab them by the pussy. You can do anything”–gave Jan 21 its palette (pink), signature attire (the pussy hat) and rules of engagement.
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Starting in January 2017, it was abundantly clear that Democratic women were furious that Donald Trump had been elected president. That helped push a record number of Democratic women to run for office. That led to a record number of Democratic women nominees and ultimately a record-setting freshman class of them.
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Honoring and celebrating the 100th Anniversary of Women’s Right to Vote in the United States.