Look inside the luxury Nashville hotel where suffragists fought for women's right to vote 100 years ago
Melissa Wiley
Lisa Diederich Photography / The Hermitage Hotel
- On August 18, 1920, Tennessee became the 36th and final state to ratify the 19th amendment, granting 27 million women across the US the right to vote.
- For six weeks leading up to that day, suffragists and anti-suffragists campaigned for the votes of state congressman in the halls of Nashville's The Hermitage Hotel.
- The fight for women's right to vote in The Hermitage Hotel became known as the "War of the Roses."
- Take a look inside the five-star boutique property, which just became a National Historic Landmark and is offering suffrage-themed cocktails to honor the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th amendment.
One hundred years ago, The Hermitage Hotel in Nashville became the center of a heated debate over women's right to vote.
The Hermitage Hotel's present-day entrance.
Lisa Diederich Photography / The Hermitage Hotel
Source: The Hermitage Hotel
In the summer of 1920, the decision of whether or not to ratify the 19th amendment fell to Tennessee's legislature.
The intersection of 6th Avenue N. and Union Street, looking west, shows The Hermitage Hotel and other buildings in 1929.
Courtesy Hermitage Hotel
Source: The Hermitage Hotel, National Park Service
Determined to see the amendment ratified, leaders of the suffragist movement camped out for six weeks between July and August at The Hermitage Hotel.
Women march for the right to vote in a Nashville parade ca. 1915.
Courtesy Hermitage Hotel
Located one block from the state capitol, The Hermitage Hotel was a well-known haunt of politicians.
Present-day Tennessee state capitol.
Davel5957/Getty Images
Source: The Hermitage Hotel
Governors were known to live in the hotel's rooms before taking office ...
Interior of a present-day hotel room.
Lisa Diederich Photography / The Hermitage Hotel
Source: The Hermitage Hotel
... and senators and representatives would gather at the hotel's restaurant and bar to discuss matters of the day.
Present-day interior of the hotel's Oak Bar.
Lisa Diederich Photography / The Hermitage Hotel
Source: The Hermitage Hotel
Together with journalists, suffragists sat in the Beaux-Arts lobby waiting for run-ins with politicians.
The hotel's present-day lobby.
Lisa Diederich Photography / The Hermitage Hotel
Source: The Hermitage Hotel
In between encounters, they mapped out their strategy over tea and in hotel rooms.
A table setting in the hotel's present-day veranda.
Courtesy Hermitage Hotel
Source: The Hermitage Hotel
The suffragists didn't just have to contend with politicians, however. Anti-suffragists also set up their campaign headquarters at the hotel.
Anti-suffrage activists pose with a Confederate veteran outside the entrance to their movement's headquarters at The Hermitage Hotel in August 1920.
Courtesy Hermitage Hotel
Source: The Hermitage Hotel, National Park Service
Hotel guests took to wearing different colored roses to identify which campaign they belonged to: suffragists wore yellow, and anti-suffragists wore red.
Present-day hotel interior.
Lisa Diederich Photography / The Hermitage Hotel
Source: The Hermitage Hotel
Their battle for the right to vote became known as "The War of the Roses."
The hotel's present-day veranda.
Lisa Diederich Photography / The Hermitage Hotel
Source: The Hermitage Hotel
Finally, on August 18, 1920, Tennessee ratified the 19th amendment. The amendment became law eight days later on August 26, granting 27 million women across the US the right to vote.
National Woman's Party members thank legislators outside the Tennessee state capitol on August 18, 2020, after the vote.
Courtesy Hermitage Hotel
In honor of the 100th anniversary, The Hermitage Hotel has put its collection of private artifacts from the summer of 1920 on display in a new lobby exhibition.
Ratification of the 19th amendment centennial exhibit in the The Hermitage Hotel.
Courtesy The Hermitage Hotel
Source: The Hermitage Hotel
Guests can also join weekly history tours. While the hotel was renovated in the early 2000s, it looks much the same as it did back in 1920 and became a National Historic Landmark at the end of July.
The present-day exterior of The Hermitage Hotel.
Lisa Diederich Photography / The Hermitage Hotel
Through the remainder of the year, the hotel will be offering a socially distanced suffrage tea series with historical reenactors in honor of the suffrage movement's beginnings over high tea.
Suffrage-themed tea service in the hotel's veranda.
Courtesy Hermitage Hotel
Source: The Hermitage Hotel
A new suffrage-themed cocktail service includes drinks named after famous suffragists like Carrie Chapman Catt, who led the lobbying campaign at The Hermitage and went on to found the League of Women Voters.
Left: Carrie Chapman Catt; Right: The Hermitage Hotel's suffrage-themed "Carrie" craft cocktail in front of a bust of the suffragist.
Courtesy The Hermitage Hotel
Source: The Hermitage Hotel, Library of Congress
One drink is called the "tiebreaker," since Tennessee's decision to ratify the 19th amendment came down to a single tiebreaker vote.
"Tiebreaker," a suffrage-themed craft cocktail.
Courtesy The Hermitage Hotel
Source: The Hermitage Hotel
The Hermitage Hotel is currently operating with social distancing and cleaning protocols in place to ensure guest safety.
Present-day exterior of The Hermitage Hotel.
Lisa Diederich Photography / Hermitage Hotel
Source: The Hermitage Hotel
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