On this day in 1920, the US Constitution was changed forever as women’s suffrage was secured, and it came down to the vote of a 24-year-old state legislator and a letter from his mother.
Harry T. Burn, a member of the Tennessee House of Representatives, cast the deciding vote that made his state the 36th to ratify the 19th Amendment, granting American women the right to vote. The suffrage movement had fought for decades to secure this change, facing fierce opposition and years of setbacks.
Tennessee was the final battleground: if it voted yes, the amendment would cross the three-quarters threshold required for ratification. At first, Burn wore a red rose- a symbol of the anti-suffrage side- and was expected to vote against it. But tucked inside his pocket was a letter from his mother, Phoebe Ensminger Burn, urging him to “be a good boy” and vote in favour of women’s suffrage.
When the roll was called, Burn changed sides and voted “aye.” His single vote tipped the balance and ensured that American women won the constitutional right to vote after a struggle lasting more than 70 years.
The 19th Amendment was certified on 26 August 1920, becoming a landmark in US history and inspiring suffrage movements worldwide. It remains a powerful reminder of how even one vote- and one voice- can shape democracy for generations.
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