National American Woman Suffrage Association

The fifty-first convention of the National American Woman Suffrage Association, held in Chicago in February 1920, was called the "Victory Convention" by the organization. Although the Nineteenth Amendment had not yet been ratified by three-fourths of the states, it seemed to the members of NAWSA that it was only a matter of time before women’s suffrage would become part of the Constitution. Therefore, much of the time at the convention was dedicated to celebration and reflection over the many battles that had been fought in order to secure American women the right to vote.

At the same time, the movement knew that considerable work remained undone. Many leaders wanted to use the existing organization, with its grassroots support and other resources, to push for further rights for women. Therefore, with very little opposition, NAWSA agreed to...