By the President of the United States of America Since America's
earliest days, our citizens have engaged in a passionate
struggle to create a Nation where all can enjoy the benefits of
democracy in equal measure. In 1920, we took a great step toward
that noble goal by declaring that the right to vote could not be
denied on the basis of gender. This 76th anniversary of the
adoption of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution gives us an
opportunity to celebrate the advances made in empowering women
to fully participate in the political, cultural, social, and
economic life of our country. At long last we are seeing the
fruits of our efforts to establish a society made strong by its
vast diversity—a place where women not only make gains in
traditionally male fields, but also use their talents and
perspectives to enlarge the scope of public life. The
extraordinary success of our female athletes at the Centennial
Olympic Games in Atlanta is one stirring example of this
progress. Historically excluded from so many a