THE VOICE THAT WON THE VOTE: How One Woman’s Words Made History written by Elisa Boxer and illustrated by Vivien Mildenberger is about how a single vote in the Tennessee legislature impacted the adoption of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution giving women the right to vote in 1920.Thirty-five states had already voted positively for women’s right to vote but the nation needed thirty-six states to vote yes to make it law.
Harry Burn was the youngest law maker in Tennessee at this time. When the suffrage vote came up he voted no. However, the vote turned out to be a tie! At this point, his mother Febb Burn decided to take action and wrote directly to her son stating, “…vote for suffrage and don’t keep them in doubt. Don’t forget to be a good boy. With lots of love, Mama.”
Despite Harry’s fears that he would never get re-elected if he voted “yes” he knew he needed to do the right thing and break the tie. The double spread illustration of Harry standing firmly in front of the legislature and speaking forth a loud and clear “YES” captures his courage.
The illustrations are very expressive throughout. On an early page the reader can see four women lifting their voices in support of a woman’s right to vote. The illustration just across from that shows four men and one woman calling them troublemakers and uncivilized!
THE VOICE THAT WON THE VOTE: How One Woman’s Words Made History written by Elisa Boxer and illustrated by Vivien Mildenberger is a celebration of how Febb Burn’s words when combined with Harry Burn’s courage made a huge difference. It is designed for readers 6-10 years of age (Sleeping Bear Press, 2020).
Activity Questions for THE VOICE THAT WON THE VOTE
Have you ever taken a stand on something that was not popular like Harry did when he voted yes in this story? Think about it. How did your friends, family and classmates react? Were they positive or negative or both? How did it make you feel? Draw a picture or design a 3-D object of your feeling. Use colored pencils, markers and /or found objects to make your feeling come alive.
In the back material you will find a useful timeline of the history of the suffrage movement. Read it closely and find the answers to the following questions: What was the first state to give women the right to vote? Who were the Silent Sentinels? How many years did it take for women to win the right to vote in every state? What woman was convicted of voting illegally? What were some of the events women staged to get their message about suffrage out to the public?
In many of the illustrations you can see women carrying signs proclaiming how they feel about voting rights. Think about something you feel strongly about such as stopping global warming or bullying. Then, gather a poster board, makers and cut outs with which to make your sign. Don’t forget to come up with a slogan!
