Question

Why does the author use the term "bleak" in paragraph 7 when

describing the outlook of the 19th Amendment vote?
Tennessee was in a 48-48 tie which would determine
whether the 19th amendment would pass or not
8 million women were able to vote that year
President Woodrow Wilson was a supporter of women's
voting rights
NATS
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Harry T. Burn cast the deciding vote and ratified the
19th amendment

Answer 1

The author uses 'bleak' to describe the 19th Amendment vote's outlook due to the tight and uncertain situation in the Tennessee House, which was resolved by Harry T. Burn's last-minute vote in favor.

Step-by-step explanation:

The term "bleak" is used in the context of the 19th Amendment vote due to the intensely uncertain and unfavorable conditions that surrounded it within the Tennessee House of Representatives. Prior to Harry T. Burn's unexpected vote in favor of the amendment, the prospects for ratification were grim.

The Tennessee vote was precariously tied at 48-48, and many believed the amendment would not secure the necessary majority. Burn's pivotal change of heart, influenced by a letter from his mother, led to a narrow victory for the suffrage movement. This decision significantly contributed to the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment, granting millions of women the right to vote.