The Van Wert County Courthouse

Thursday, Sep. 25, 2025

Library to host 19th Amendment exhibit

VW independent/submitted information

The Brumback Library will host a new pop-up exhibition from the National Archives, Rightfully Hers, commemorating the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment. Rightfully Hers  
contains simple messages exploring the history of the ratification of the 19th amendment, women’s voting rights before and after the 19th, and its impact today. 

Brumback Library’s Main Branch in downtown Van Wert. VW independent file photo

Despite decades of marches, petitions, and public debate to enshrine a woman’s right to vote in the constitution, the 19th Amendment — while an enormous milestone — did not grant voting rights for all. The challenges of its passage reverberate to the ongoing fight for gender equity today. This exhibit runs through September 30.

Brumback Library has several informative books on display that are available for patrons to check out.

“The ratification of the 19th Amendment was a landmark moment in American history that dramatically changed the electorate, and although it enshrined in the U.S. Constitution fuller citizenship for women, many remained unable to vote,” said Rightfully Hers co-curator Jennifer N. Johnson.

Rightfully Hers is organized by the National Archives and Records Administration. In celebration of the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, the National Archives has launched a nationwide initiative and major exhibition that explores the generations-long fight for universal woman suffrage. 

The exhibition is presented in part by the Women’s Suffrage Centennial Commission and the National Archives Foundation through the generous support of Unilever, Pivotal Ventures, the Carl M. Freeman Foundation in honor of Virginia Allen Freeman, AARP, and Denise Gwyn Ferguson.

POSTED: 08/21/20 at 10:02 pm. FILED UNDER: News