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Re: Defining action for state ratification of a federal amendment?
Legislative ArchivesAug 28, 2020 8:11 AM (in response to Randolph Hollingsworth)
Hi Randolph -- thanks for posting to History Hub!
I'm not sure this is a question that we can answer here at the Center for Legislative Archives. We can confirm that the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.J.Res. 1 on May 21, 1919, followed by passage in the U.S. Senate on June 4, 1919 -- but as to the specific details of each state's ratification you'll need to confirm with the state in question. I'd recommend contacting the Rhode Island State Archives and the Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives directly.
You can read more about the constitutional amendment process on NARA's website. In 1920, the ratification of the 19th Amendment was overseen by the Secretary of State.
And you can find both ratified and unratified amendments within Record Group 11 -- General Records of the U.S. Government. For more information on RG 11 you can email archives1reference@nara.gov.
Cheers!
Sarah