19th Amendment Centennial Gets Social
By Victoria Macchi | National Archives News
WASHINGTON, August 6, 2020 — Ida B. Wells, Marie Louise Bottineau Baldwin, and Dr Mabel Ping-Hua Lee are sharing an internet moment this month, a century after their fight for woman suffrage in the United States.
These women, their peers, and their legacies are featured in an online campaign from the National Archives, the Smithsonian Institution, and the Library of Congress commemorating the 19th Amendment throughout August. For more information on the 19th Amendment centennial commemoration, please visit: Archives.gov/women.
Do it for the ‘gram: find your favorite suffragist on social media
Search for 10 voting-inspired stickers and GIFs on Twitter and Instagram designed by Smithsonian Digital Studio and artist Krystal Quiles. Find them using #19SuffrageStories.
While the ratification of the 19th Amendment excluded many non-white women, the work to achieve suffrage was wide-ranging. Hilary Parkinson, a public affairs specialist who manages social media for the National Archives, says the stickers “underscore the fact that the ongoing path to voting equality has been forged by women of diverse ethnicities and backgrounds.”
"It was an opportunity to share a fuller history of the fight for women's voting rights and to highlight the contributions of less well-known suffragists,” Parkinson added. “We hope that our audiences will use these GIFs and feel a sense of connection and continuity with these important women."
To add the stickers on Instagram:
- Create an Instagram Story, click on the sticker icon, and search for #19SuffrageStories. Animated GIFs of the stickers are also available through GIPHY for use on Twitter or other social media platforms.
You can also add a historic sash sticker to selfies or the words of Ida B. Wells, Marie Louise Bottineau Baldwin, and Mabel Ping-Hua Lee to your posts.
The full set of GIFs can be found online, and descriptions of the stickers can be found in this blog post about the social media stickers and GIFs.
#19SuffrageStories: the proof is in the posts
In another partnership with the Smithsonian Institution and Library of Congress, the National Archives is elevating the work behind woman suffrage using the hashtag #19SuffrageStories. The 19-day social media campaign will share stories and records from the three cultural institutions about the long fight for women’s voting rights in the U.S.
The campaign began on August 3, with the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, which is held at the National Archives. They will run daily until August 26, the day in 1920 when the 19th Amendment to the Constitution was enacted, establishing that the right to vote could not be denied on account of sex.
Follow the three partnering institutions on social media:
@USNatArchives on Instagram and Twitter