American Flag, "Mr. President, What Will You Do For Women's Suffrage?" circa 1916

George Washington carried folding beds, tents, eating utensils, and other equipment to use while encamped on the field with his troops during the Revolutionary War. Washington likely used this bed when he traveled from his Newburgh, New York, headquarters in July 1783 -- as the war was winding down -- to tour upstate New York and the military installations located there.

American women gained the right to vote after a long, hard struggle. A concerted effort to secure voting rights for women began in the mid-1800s and continued until the ratification of the 19th Amendment in 1920--and even then, some women had to fight on. In recognition of the passage of the 19th Amendment, here are 19 objects from our collections that highlight the women's suffrage movement.

In the 1970s, women's rights activists rallied in support of the proposed Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), which would guarantee women equal rights with men as part of the United States Constitution. The ERA, first put forward in 1923, finally passed both houses of Congress in 1972 -- but it was not ratified in enough state legislatures for approval.