Senator frank church who is investigating irregular layerties in the cia and fbi. This is in 1975 and 1976. There are major hearings held here for that. Parts vrt executive branch are operating without congressional oversight and that you need to have regular committee investigations. We dont see it as dramatically as what the Church Committee was doing at that time. After that, in 1983, the hard building opens up. Because the staff is happening at a very rapid pace. As late as the mid 1960s, there were less than a thousand employees. They were paid in cash. They stood in line to get an envelope full of cash. The legislative branch didnt feel it could trust the executive branch as much. Before that, they would be relying on executive agencies and now they needed their own staff to evaluate what was happening. And so they increased the size of the senate house staff considerably and the senate staff went about a thousand to close to 7,000. And so eventually they built the heart building
She went after the leadership very publicly. Well, very shortly, they came around and put her on to the Committee Assignments that she wanted. One of the artifacts that we have that im particularly fond of is this one. Its a letter from j. Ed guard hoover to congresswoman khan and the important part of this isnt actually what hes writing. Whats important is dear mother khan. And its an odd phrasing for j. Ed card hoover. But she was known very much as the mother of the fbi. So that was often how he referred to her. So this is a fascinating piece of lobbying and playing up that affiliation and that close tie that they had. By the time we get to the late 1930s, early 1940s, were beginning to see a Different Group from that Pioneer Group of women coming to congress. World war ii reshapes the rolled of women in society generally, women hold a lot of jobs that men previously held as men go off to fight in the service. And women who come into congress during that era begin to advocate more o
Womens Voting Rights in the following years, especially africanamericans in the south and native americans. She also describes the fits that describes the difficulties faced by women running for office. Describes the difficulties faced by women running for office. Our speaker is the interim chair of the Women Studies Department at the university of maryland, and also a professor of history. I think several of you heard her speak a year ago about the Suffrage Movement in the context of the house. At the time she said she was doing research on how women got the vote. It was clear from your response you do too. Thank you so much for that introduction and the indentation. And the invitation. Thank you to everybody at the Smithsonian Associates who made this and taking care of the logistics. The 19th amendment, which was the womens suffrage amendment finally made it through congress in june of 1919 and ratified by three quarters of the state in august of 1920 and no stage could deny the vot
And native americans. She also describes the difficulties faced by women running for political office. The Smithsonian Associates hosted this one hour, 45 minute program. Our speaker tonight is robin chairnsey, the interim and a professor womens history. You heard her speak about one the ago in the context of belmont house. At the time, she said she was doing research on what happened after women got the vote. I thought that was a really interesting program, and it is clear from your response that you will do as well. So please give a warm welcome to robin munsey. Thank you. Robin munsey thank you so much, rebecca, for that introduction, and for the imitation to come back. Is always so nice to be invited back. It is like it did not go too badly. And thank you to everyone at the Smithsonian Associates who have made this possible, taking care of all the publicity and logistics. Let me make sure i have this all right. The 19th amendment, the woman suffrage amendment to the u. S. Constitut
Speak about a year ago. At the time, she said that she was doing research on what happened after women got the vote. And i thought that sounds like a really interesting program. Its clear from your response that you all do too. Give a warm welcome to robin muncy. Thanks for being here. [ applause ] thank you so much. For that introduction and the invitation to come back. That didnt go too badly. And thank you to everybody at the Smithsonian Associates who made this possible. People who worked on publicity and taken care of the logistics. Okay. Let me make sure i got this. Good. So the 19th amendment of course the womans suffrage amendment to the u. S. Constitution. Finally made it through congress in june of 1919. And it was ratified by three quarters of the states in august of 1920. After that, no state could deny the vote on the basis of sex. Tonight our job is to explore some of the meanings of the 19th amendment immediately in the aftermath of its passage. Before we drill down on t