Draft of Joint Resolution to establish a day for the commemoration of women suffragists, May 11, 2005 (3 pages)

(Original Signature oflMember) 109TII C O N G R E S S 1ST SESSION H. J. RES. Expressing the sense of Congress with respect to tl^-e&t^ishment of an appropriate day for the commemoration of th^womSn^uffragists who u.ui'lflfff^CT-t'he right of women to vote in the UnitecT States. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Ms. BERKLEY introduced the following joint resolution; which was referred to the Committee on JOINT RESOLUTION Expressing the sense of Congress with respect to the estab-lishment of an appropriate day for the commemoration of the^wor^^r^viffragists who worked for the right of women to vote in the United States. t Whereas one of the first public appeals for woman suffrage ^ ?' came in 1848 when Lucretia Mott and Elizabeth Cady Stanton called a women's rights convention in Seneca Palls, New York, on July 19, 1848; Whereas Sojourner Truth gave her famous speech titled "Ain't I a Woman?" at the 1851 Women's Rights Con-vention in Akron, Ohio; F:\V9\051105X051105.296 (31648113) May 11, 2005 (5:31 PM) F:\M9\BERKLE\BERKLE_009.XML H.L.C. 2 Whereas in 1869, suffragists formed two national organiza-tions to work for the right to vote: the National Woman Suffrage Association and the American Woman Suffrage Association; Whereas these two organizations united in 1890 to form the National American Woman Suffrage Association; Whereas in 1872, Susan B. Anthony and a group of women voted in the presidential election in Rochester, New York; Whereas she was arrested and fined for voting illegally; Whereas at her trial, which attracted nationwide attention, she made a speech that ended with the slogan "Resist-ance to Tyranny Is Obedience to God"; Whereas on Jajmajy 25, 1887, the United States Senate voted on^om^s u f frage^r the first time; \ ? Whereas during the earjy 1900s, a new generation of leaders joined the p m a n suffrage^movement, including Carrie Chapman van, lviaud i Wood Park, Lucy Burns, Alice Paul, and Harriot E. Blatch; (? * Whereas ( ^ o m ^ ^ f f i ^ leaders devoted most of their efforts to marches, picketing, and other active forms of protest; Whereas Alice Paul and others chained themselves to the White House fence; Whereas the suffragists were often arrested and sent to jail, where many of them went on hunger strikes; (\ ? Whereas almost 5,000 people paraded for womg^g suffrage^ up Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, DC; and Whereas on August 26, 1920, the 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution granted women in the United States the right to vote: Now, therefore, be it F:\V9\051105X051105.296 (31648113) May 11, 2005 (5:31 PM) F:\M9\BERKLE\BERKLE_009.XML II.L.C. 3 1 Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives 2 of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 3 That it is the sense of Congress that an appropriate day 4 should be established for the commemoration of the 5^womlE^Liffragists who worked for the right of women to 6 vote in the United States. F:\V9\051105X051105.296 (31648113) May 11, 2005 (5:31 PM)