What amendment granted women the right to vote?

The 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution is the key piece of legislation that granted women the right to vote. Ratified in 1920, this amendment 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." This was a monumental achievement in the women's suffrage movement, which aimed to ensure that women had equal voting rights alongside men.

In contrast, other amendments listed serve different purposes. The 15th Amendment, for example, addresses voting rights and prohibits denying the right to vote based on race, but does not specifically grant women the right to vote. The 24th Amendment, enacted in 1964, prohibits poll taxes in federal elections, which was important for ensuring access to voting but does not relate to women's suffrage directly. Similarly, the 26th Amendment, ratified in 1971, lowered the voting age to 18 years but does not impact women's rights specifically. Understanding the significance of the 19th Amendment helps illustrate the broader struggle for gender equality in voting rights in the United States.