104 years ago, The 19th Amendment was passed which granted women the right to vote.Â
But did you know that it almost didn't happen?
The final vote came down to 24-year-old Harry T. Burns of the Tennessee General Assembly.Â
Initially, Burns wore an anti-suffragist pin and voted against the amendment in what would be a tie vote.
And then he received a letter from his mother, Febb Burns.
It read: “Dear Son, …Â
Hurray and vote for Suffrage and don’t keep them in doubt. I noticed Chandlers’ speech, it was very bitter. I’ve been waiting to see how you stoodÂ
but have not seen anything yet…. Don’t forget to be a good boy and help Mrs. Catt with her “Rats.” Is she the one that put rat in ratification, Ha! No more from mama this time. With lots of love, Mama.”
Burns changed his vote to “Aye," which made Tennessee the 36th state needed for the 19th Amendment to be adopted as a Constitutional Amendment.*
Moms know best. Whether it's when you fail a test, get your heart broken for the first time or have just received your first job offer - moms across America are on speed dial ready to give advice.Â
So why don't we listen to moms when it comes to maternal rights like paid family leave, maternal health and affordable childcare?
This giving season, you are invited to support Chamber of Mothers'Â
Moms Know Best campaign which will support:Â
-
Expanding local chapters by 40% in 2025 to make sure we are represented in all 50 states
- At least 6 visits to Washington DC to meet with policy makers and politicians on both sides of the aisle to advocate for maternal rights
- To grow our community of 100,000 fed up and fired up moms at the local and national level
*Before Burns's vote determined the fate of the 19th Amendment, the success of ratification was a huge movement of people working together who lectured, wrote, marched, lobbied, and practiced civil disobedience for a century to achieve it. Even after that, it took 60+ years for ALL women to gain the right to vote legally.