Throughout global history, women have been denied basic rights, much less a voice when it came to how a country was run. A history of women's suffrage would be extremely  lengthy,  even the U.S.'s own history of suffrage, despite being somewhat short as America is a young country comparatively speaking. When America was founded, the Declaration gave everyone the right to democracy with a few small exclusions: women and minorities had no right to vote. In 1777, all states ratified a law preventing women from voting. Though this predominately white patriarchy dominated, women and minorities would go on to fight against this discrimination, paving the way for the future.

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Through the 15th amendment, African Americans would legally have the right to vote (though it wouldn't be until the Voting Rights of 1965 that more measures would be put into place to prevent further denials of this amendment).  Suffrage movements would push the 19th Amendment into place, giving women the right to vote.  

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While these laws were vital and necessary, they did not prevent discrimination. Rights would still have to be fought for and small milestones would be celebrated equally alongside the big successes. Below is a short timeline of just a few milestones that women have made which have led to the political landscape of today and contributed to the dream of equality, of a more equal representation. It is  important to be mindful of the past and celebrate all that has happened and use this information to fuel dreams for the future. 

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Below is a short timeline of merely a few of the landmark events of women in politics. 

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By hovering over the date, you can see the historical event.

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