Photo credit: DMA-Events

This year marks 100 years since women gained the right to vote in the United States with Tennessee’s vote to ratify the 19th Amendment. On Aug. 18, 1920, Tennessee became the 36th state to vote in favor of women’s suffrage, the final state needed before the amendment could become law. But did you know that the historic vote came down to the mother of a Tennessee legislator?

Rep. Harry Burn, who up until that day had been in the anti-suffrage camp, cast the tie-breaking vote. Earlier that morning, he had received a letter from his mother, Phoebe Burn, urging him to vote for ratification. After reading the letter, Harry acted on his mother’s advice, breaking the tie with his unexpected vote in favor of the amendment.

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Photo credit: DMA-Events

In honor of the 100-year anniversary of the vote, DMA-Events is celebrating Tennessee’s place in history with the creation of original art throughout the state by an all-female team of professional muralists. Learn more at wallsforwomen.com.

And what better way to honor this milestone and the important role Tennessee played in it than to get out to the polls and vote this November? To find voter registration information or voting locations near you, visit sos.tn.gov/elections or vote411.org/tennessee.