By 1919, what progress had been made toward the 19th Amendment?

By 1919, what progress had been made toward the 19th Amendment?

• A. Three-quarters of the states had agreed and it was in effect by 1920
• B. The amendment failed in the states
• C. It was enacted in 1910
• D. It had no support

Answer: (A)

The main idea here is how constitutional amendments get approved and what momentum looked like for women’s suffrage by 1919. An amendment needs two steps: it must be approved by two-thirds of Congress and then ratified by three-fourths of the states. By 1919, Congress had indeed passed the amendment and sent it to the states for ratification, signaling strong momentum. Many states had already granted women the vote, and enough were ready to ratify to reach the required 36-state threshold, with the expectation that it would become law around 1920. That’s why this option best captures the progress: substantial state-level support plus federal action, moving the amendment toward becoming law in 1920. The other statements misstate the situation: it hadn’t already failed, it wasn’t enacted in 1910, and support certainly existed in various quarters.

The main idea here is how constitutional amendments get approved and what momentum looked like for women’s suffrage by 1919. An amendment needs two steps: it must be approved by two-thirds of Congress and then ratified by three-fourths of the states. By 1919, Congress had indeed passed the amendment and sent it to the states for ratification, signaling strong momentum. Many states had already granted women the vote, and enough were ready to ratify to reach the required 36-state threshold, with the expectation that it would become law around 1920. That’s why this option best captures the progress: substantial state-level support plus federal action, moving the amendment toward becoming law in 1920. The other statements misstate the situation: it hadn’t already failed, it wasn’t enacted in 1910, and support certainly existed in various quarters.