<Dd> The National American Woman Suffrage Association, not the National Woman's Party, was decisive in Wilson's conversion to the cause of the federal amendment because its approach mirrored his own conservative vision of the appropriate method of reform: win a broad consensus, develop a legitimate rationale, and make the issue politically valuable . Additionally, I contend that Wilson did have a significant role to play in the successful congressional passage and national ratification of the 19th Amendment . </Dd> <P> The Amendment passed by two - thirds of the House, with only one vote to spare . The vote was then carried into the Senate . Again President Wilson made an appeal, but on September 30, 1918, the amendment fell two votes short of the two - thirds necessary for passage, 53 - 31 (Republicans 27 - 10 for, Democrats 26 - 21 for). On February 10, 1919, it was again voted upon, and then it was lost by only one vote, 54 - 30 (Republicans 30 - 12 for, Democrats 24 - 18 for). </P> <P> There was considerable anxiety among politicians of both parties to have the amendment passed and made effective before the general elections of 1920, so the President called a special session of Congress, and a bill, introducing the amendment, was brought before the House again . On May 21, 1919, it was passed, 304 to 89, (Republicans 200 - 19 for, Democrats 102 - 69 for, Union Labor 1 - 0 for, Prohibitionist 1 - 0 for), 42 votes more than necessary being obtained . On June 4, 1919, it was brought the Senate, and after a long discussion it was passed, with 56 ayes and 25 nays (Republicans 36 - 8 for, Democrats 20 - 17 for). Within a few days, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Michigan ratified the amendment, their legislatures being then in session . Other states followed suit at a regular pace, until the amendment had been ratified by 35 of the necessary 36 state legislatures . After Washington on March 22, 1920, ratification languished for months . Finally, on August 18, 1920, Tennessee narrowly ratified the Nineteenth Amendment, making it the law throughout the United States . Thus the 1920 election became the first United States presidential election in which women were permitted to vote in every state . </P> <P> Three other states, Connecticut, Vermont and Delaware, passed the amendment by 1923 . They were eventually followed by others in the south . Nearly twenty years later Maryland ratified the amendment in 1941 . After another ten years, in 1952, Virginia ratified the Nineteenth Amendment, followed by Alabama in 1953 . After another 16 years Florida and South Carolina passed the necessary votes to ratify in 1969, followed two years later by Georgia, Louisiana and North Carolina . </P>

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