Which amendment granted women the right to vote?

• A. The Fifteenth Amendment
• B. The Nineteenth Amendment
• C. The Seventeenth Amendment
• D. The Twenty-fourth Amendment

Answer: (B)

The Nineteenth Amendment is pivotal in U.S. history as it specifically granted women the right to vote, thus ensuring gender equality in electoral participation. Ratified in 1920, this amendment marked a significant milestone in the women's suffrage movement, which had been advocating for voting rights for women for several decades. It reflects the culmination of efforts by activists who fought against societal norms and legal barriers that excluded women from voting.

Understanding the context of other amendments clarifies why they do not pertain to women's voting rights. The Fifteenth Amendment, for instance, primarily addresses voting rights for African American men and prohibits denying a citizen the right to vote based on "race, color, or previous condition of servitude," but it does not mention gender. The Seventeenth Amendment focuses on the direct election of U.S. Senators and is unrelated to voting rights based on gender. The Twenty-fourth Amendment abolishes poll taxes in federal elections, striving to eliminate financial barriers to voting, but it also does not address women's suffrage directly.