Program

National Votes for Women Trail

Subject

People

Location

40 S Andrews Ave, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301, USA

Lat/Long

26.12173, -80.14317

Grant Recipient

National Collaborative for Women's History Sites

Florida suffragist, educator, and philanthropist Ivy Stranahan (1881-1971) was a founder of the Fort Lauderdale Woman’s Club. Located on land donated by Stranahan, the Fort Lauderdale Woman’s Club headquarters were completed in 1917. Alongside her women’s club work, Stranahan was a leader in the Florida Equal Suffrage Association, serving as the 1917 president of the organization. After her presidency, she served as chair of the legislative committee. The Florida Equal Suffrage Association lobbied Florida state legislators to support women’s suffrage laws and an amendment to the state constitution that would ensure women’s right to vote in the state.

On June 4, 1919, the United States Congress passed the Nineteenth Amendment which states, “The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex.” After this, the Florida Equal Suffrage Association shifted strategy and lobbied for the state’s ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment. Despite their efforts, the state did not vote on the amendment. However, by August 1920, the necessary number of states had ratified the Nineteenth Amendment, securing women’s right to vote across the United States, including in the state of Florida.