Sen. Anne Carney visited the site commemorating women’s right to vote in Seneca Falls, New York. Contributed / Anne Carney

On Aug. 18, 1920, the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified, determining the right to vote in elections should not be based on an individual’s sex and effectively giving women the right to vote. Voting rights for women came after decades and generations of protest through civil disobedience, marches, lobbying and so much more from suffragettes and allies across the country.

Seneca Falls, New York, comes to mind when thinking of the suffragette movement. I have visited the many landmarks dedicated to freedom and suffrage and was awed and inspired by the histories of Laura Cornelius Kellogg, an advocate for suffrage and Indigenous rights; Harriet Tubman, who guided enslaved people to freedom and was a strong champion for women’s and civil rights; Martha Coffin Wright, who dedicated her life to abolition and women’s equality; and Sojourner Truth, who delivered her powerful speech on abolition and women’s rights at the Women’s Rights Convention in Ohio in 1851.

There were hundreds of thousands of suffragettes nationally, as well as within our great state. All who engaged in the fight for equality and voting rights deserve to be remembered and honored. We must also acknowledge the many women who did not have basic rights and liberties when the 19th Amendment was ratified. It wasn’t until the Snyder Act of 1924 was passed that Native Americans could vote in the United States. This, however, didn’t erase the many state laws that prevented Native American tribes across the country from being able to vote for an additional 40 years. This is true for Black American women as well, who were denied their rights until the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Women suffragette efforts in Maine began in Ellsworth in the 1850s with sisters Ann F. Jarvis Greely and Sarah Jarvis working to garner support from Sen. Thomas McCulloch Hayes of Saco who pleaded for the Legislature to consider women’s voting rights in 1854. After that, the sisters and a group of women suffragettes from Bangor sent their first legislative proposal to the State House in 1857, but no legislation was introduced in either instance.

During this time, daffodils became the unofficial flower of the suffragette movement in Maine. Suffragettes would bring bouquets to lawmakers at the State House, would wear them on their lapel, and pass them out at rallies as a unifying token in the fight for the right to vote. You likely remember that, during the centennial celebration of the 100-year marker of women earning the right to vote in 2020, volunteers planted daffodil bulbs across Maine as an homage to these women, their organization efforts and appreciation for their place in history.

Today there are many ways to stay active in the fight for voting rights. The League of Women’s Voters of Maine is a nonpartisan, grassroots organization aimed at expanding voter registration and encourages a robust involvement in government for all Mainers. There is a specific Youth Council as well for high school and college-aged young women looking for how to get involved and find their voice in local government. The Maine Women’s Lobby serves as a strong advocate for gender justice, freedom from discrimination and representation in leadership. Each year, the Maine Women’s Lobby hosts Girls’ Day at the State House. I love attending these impactful events aimed at showing young women and girls how the Legislature operates. I have enjoyed answering their questions about how laws are introduced and connecting them to lawmakers who work hard for their continued right to a safe and healthy community. I am excited to see how they will choose to serve their community, state and country in the future.

Anne Carney represents Maine Senate District 29, which consists of Cape Elizabeth, South Portland and part of Scarborough. She can be reached at 207-287-1515 or Anne.Carney@legislature.maine.gov.