At the turn of the 20th century, there were two main national suffrage groups: NAWSA (National American Woman Suffrage Association) and the NWP (National Woman’s Party).

In 1900, Susan B. Anthony stepped down from the leadership of NAWSA at the age of eighty. She appointed Carrie Chapman Catt as her successor. By 1893, Catt was a rising star in the suffrage movement. That year she proved her mettle by leading a successful suffrage referendum in Colorado, thereby making that state only the second one to win the vote for women (behind Wyoming, who gave the vote to women in 1869 when it was still a territory - to attract women to the area).

Catt was a brilliant speaker, dynamic organizer, and magnetic personality. She would look each person in the eyes and make them feel important. Catt worked for The Cause (women’s rights) most of her adult life and came to be known as The Chief. In 1916, Catt gave a speech in Atlantic City entitled The Crisis. It was a pep talk to encourage suffragists that they would indeed “secure [their] aim”. She punctuated the address with her now-famous line, “The woman’s hour has struck”, which is the quote on this artwork.

The ratification of the 19th Amendment is due in large part to Catt’s leadership in Tennessee in 1920. It was the last state, the 36th state, needed to ratify the amendment for it to become law.

Among her many other achievements, Carrie Chapman Catt (1859-1947) founded the League of Women Voters, which continues its significant work today.