Putnam County Executive MaryEllen Odell announced that the historic Putnam County Courthouse will be lit in yellow, white and purple on Wednesday, August 26 to mark the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, which gave women the right to vote.
“If not for the brave women who fought long and hard for suffrage, women would have no voice in the political arena, much less the opportunity to run for and hold elective office,” County Executive Odell said. “All of the rights we, as women, hold today stem from that first battle. As Putnam’s first female county executive, I am proud to ensure that our courthouse is lit in remembrance of and gratitude for the suffragettes who led the way.”
After years of protest marches, civil disobedience and lobbying led by women like Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Lucretia Mott and Susan B. Anthony, the 19th Amendment was ratified on August 18, 1920. It was certified on August 26, 1920 and that is the day that is celebrated as Women’s Equality Day.
The colors of the Suffrage Movement were yellow, white and purple.