By Evelyn Kelly, PhD
Nashville, Tennessee—famous for country music and the Grand Ole Opry—also has deep roots in American history. Landmarks like the Hermitage, Belle Meade, and the towering Parthenon in Centennial Park reflect a state admitted to the Union on June 1, 1796. It is a place where culture and history blend—and where a single vote helped change the nation.
In the summer of 1920, Nashville became the center of a heated national debate. Governor A. H. Roberts convened a special session of the Tennessee General Assembly to consider ratification of the 19th Amendment, which would grant women the right to vote. The amendment had passed Congress the year before and had already been ratified by 35 states. Only one more was needed. Tennessee held the deciding vote.
The city was filled with tension. Streets around the Capitol buzzed with activists, lobbyists, and observers. Supporters of women’s suffrage—often called “suffragettes”—wore yellow roses, while opponents wore red. The pressure was intense, and every legislator knew the eyes of the nation were upon them.
Among those legislators was Harry Burn, a 24-year-old freshman representative from McMinn County, the youngest member of the House. Burn came from East Tennessee, where opinions on women’s suffrage were sharply divided. Wanting to represent his constituents and avoid controversy, he initially sided with the opposition and wore the red rose.
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As the decisive vote approached, Burn carried a letter from home. It was from his mother, Febb Ensminger Burn, a politically astute woman who closely followed the suffrage debate. In her letter, she urged her son to “be a good boy” and vote in favor of ratification. Burn smiled at the familiar maternal phrase and tucked the letter into his pocket.
Inside the legislative chamber, the heat was stifling and the atmosphere electric. Debate raged. As Burn listened, his thinking started to shift. He considered his mother’s intelligence and judgment and wondered why women like her should be excluded from the ballot. Women, he reasoned, had long managed households, contributed to their communities, and supported the nation through war and hardship. If they bore such responsibilities, why shouldn’t they also have a voice in government?
The vote was conducted by roll call. As names were called, it became clear the outcome would be very close. A tie would mean failure. When Burn’s name was announced, he paused, brushing the letter in his pocket. Then he said a single word: “Aye.”
The chamber fell silent. With that vote, Tennessee became the 36th state to ratify the 19th Amendment, securing women’s right to vote and forever changing American democracy.
The reaction was swift and fierce. Burn was condemned as a traitor by opponents and celebrated as a hero by supporters. Yet he stayed at peace with his decision, comforted by the knowledge that he had done what he believed was right—and had honored his mother’s faith in him.
Today, Tennessee proudly remembers its key role in the women’s suffrage movement. A monument in Centennial Park and a historical marker outside Nashville’s Hermitage Hotel serve as reminders that sometimes history hinges on the courage of one person—and one vote.
