League of Women Voters Founded (1920)

February 14, 1920

On February 14, 1920, delegates gathered in Chicago to establish the League of Women Voters, a non-partisan organization created to help millions of newly enfranchised American women exercise their right to vote. Founded just six months before ratification of the 19th Amendment, the League emerged from the final convention of the National American Woman Suffrage Association as a bridge between the decades-long suffrage movement and full civic participation. More than a century later, it remains a leading force in voter education, registration, and advocacy for voting rights across the United States.

Birth from the Suffrage Movement

The League of Women Voters was born directly out of the National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA), the organization that had spent over 50 years fighting for women's right to vote. At NAWSA's Jubilee Convention in Chicago in February 1920, with victory on the 19th Amendment appearing imminent, suffrage leader Carrie Chapman Catt proposed creating a new organization to carry the movement's work forward once the vote was won. On February 14, 1920, delegates formally established the League of Women Voters, envisioning it as a nonpartisan group that would train the nation's newest voters rather than function as a political party. The timing was deliberate: the League was founded six months before the 19th Amendment was ratified on August 18, 1920, guaranteeing women across the country the right to vote. Catt and her allies recognized that winning suffrage was only the first step—millions of American women had never voted before and needed practical guidance on registration, ballot issues, and civic responsibility. The League's founders, many of whom had spent years organizing marches, petitions, and lobbying campaigns, shifted their focus from winning the vote to ensuring it was used effectively. This transition marked a pivotal moment in American political history, converting a protest movement into an enduring institution.

Mission and Early Priorities

From its founding, the League of Women Voters committed itself to a distinctly non-partisan mission: empowering voters and defending democracy without endorsing candidates or political parties. Its earliest work centered on voter education, teaching women how to register, understand ballot measures, and participate in elections at a time when many had no prior experience with the political process. The League also organized study groups on public policy issues, encouraging members to research topics ranging from child labor laws to public health before taking informed positions. This emphasis on grassroots research and education became a hallmark of the organization's approach, distinguishing it from more overtly political suffrage groups that preceded it. Local chapters sprang up quickly across the country, allowing the League to operate at the community, state, and national levels simultaneously. By combining voter education with advocacy on social welfare issues, the League positioned itself as both a civic resource and a policy voice. This dual identity—nonpartisan educator and active advocate—shaped its reputation for decades. The organization's founders believed that democracy required not just the right to vote, but citizens equipped with the knowledge to vote wisely, a principle that guided the League's programming from its very first months in 1920.

A Century of Impact

Over more than 100 years, the League of Women Voters has expanded well beyond its original mission of orienting new women voters. The organization now works on issues including campaign finance reform, health care policy, gun control, and broader voting rights protections, often partnering with allied organizations for specific legislative campaigns. It became especially well known for hosting presidential debates during the 1970s and 1980s, lending the League significant visibility in national politics before television networks took over that role. Throughout its history, the League has fought against voter suppression efforts, advocated for redistricting reform, and pushed to modernize voter registration systems. Importantly, the League opened its membership to men in 1974, transforming from an organization exclusively for women into one focused broadly on democratic participation for all citizens. Today, the League operates through nearly 700 local and state affiliates across the United States, continuing its founding commitment to nonpartisan voter education while tackling contemporary challenges to electoral access. Its longevity reflects the enduring relevance of its founding vision from that February day in Chicago: that democracy functions best when citizens are informed, engaged, and able to exercise their right to vote without unnecessary barriers. The League's evolution mirrors broader shifts in American civic life over the past century.