We witnessed a historic moment Thursday evening. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton became the first female presidential nominee of a major party.
The President of the National Organization for Women said:
“How far we’ve come! This is what Susan B. Anthony and the suffragists fought for a century ago … Hillary did this for all the politicians to come.”’
Many of America’s elderly population have been waiting for this moment for decades.
Congratulations @HillaryClinton #DemsInPhilly pic.twitter.com/dnuFq4efdM
— Grandma's Daffodils (@GrandmasDaffodi) July 26, 2016
One woman, Ruline Steininger, was seven-years-old when women won the right to vote. She is 103-years-old, and she has vowed to live long enough to vote for the first woman president. She said:
“The chances are high that my vote will be absent. After giving this problem much serious thought and consideration, I’ve come to the decision that I must live to do my part November 2016. I can die later.”
Many older ladies have flocked to Twitter to express their delight at Hillary Clinton’s nomination, while others expressed profound sadness that their mothers and grandmothers did not get to live to see the day:
https://twitter.com/rhymeswithran/status/758699587422916609
Another grandma/abuelita 4 @HillaryClinton. My mother w/ a photo of her mother. #ImWithHer #EstoyConElla #DNCinPHL pic.twitter.com/fMKRkWEgLE
— Kurt Cadena-Mitchell (@CadenaMitchell) July 28, 2016
https://twitter.com/MidwestMMaven/status/740392955983323139
In 1948 my Grandma was at the #DNCinPHL for Harry Truman. 68 years later I am here. Grammy & #ImWithHer pic.twitter.com/AZFdqRoVpW
— Pat Cotham (@PatCothamMeck) July 27, 2016
@HillaryClinton #ImWithHer 89 mom of 6 grandma of 15 great G of 19 (20 soon) Great Great G 6 & #VoteHillary pic.twitter.com/y8lVRJMmdg
— M Arthur F (@digitalbooger) June 8, 2016
My grandmother in Maryland asked me to share this. She was born during the Woodrow Wilson administration. #ImWithHer pic.twitter.com/mCNgiZ8Dsj
— Peter A. Shulman ? (@pashulman) April 20, 2016
Many of these women were alive when women couldn’t vote. They have been waiting a long time for this. The Nineteenth Amendment was ratified in August of 1920. That may seem like such a long time ago, but in the grand scheme of things it’s not that long. It’s only about 96 years.
My g-grandma marched for her right to vote & 97 years later @HillaryClinton is the Dem. nominee #ImWithHer #Herstory pic.twitter.com/aYEEeO103K
— Stephen M. Miranda (@StephenMMiranda) June 8, 2016
We’ve had plenty of female Congresswomen, Mayors, and many other positions. Many other countries have had female leaders, but it’s finally happening here. Grandmothers and their grandchildren are celebrating this special event.
This particular grandma actually voted for a woman once before… In 1972 for Shirley Chisholm.
https://twitter.com/NateTibbits/status/758876438065844224
Women fought for decades to secure our right to vote. It shouldn’t have taken this long, but we are finally here. We can tell future generations of girls who can be president.
The campaign to get women the vote began before the Civil War. However, it took until the early 1900s to get some women the right to vote. Idaho and Utah gave women the right to vote before the end of the 19th Century. This led to the Amendment being ratified.
Now, we finally get to vote for the first female president. This is history in the making, and I’m excited to vote for her in November.
Here is her full speech from the Democratic National Convention:
https://youtu.be/HNEIQ8olnro
Featured Image: Screenshots Via YouTube Video And Twitter.