History & Words: ‘Engrossment’ (18 August)
Welcome to ‘History & Words’! 🌟 Main hoon Prashant, Wordpandit aur Learning Inc. Network ka founder. Yeh series language learning aur historical context ko connect karti hai, taaki vocabulary improve ho aur history ki understanding bhi deep ho.
Chaliye, shabdon ki iss journey par mere saath chaliye aur naye naye words explore karte hain! 😊
🔍 Word of the Day: Engrossment
Pronunciation: /ɪnˈɡroʊsmənt/ (in-GROHS-muhnt)
Definition: The formal preparation of a legal or official document in its final written or printed form, especially one to be signed or enacted.
🌍 Parichay (Introduction)
18 August 1920—after decades of marches, petitions, imprisonments, and persistent activism, the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified, guaranteeing American women the right to vote.
This victory was sealed through the engrossment of the official amendment—the final, formal written version that made equality before the ballot a constitutional truth.
Aaj ka shabd Engrossment us pal ka pratinidhitva karta hai—jab har stroke of the pen ek century-old sangharsh ko sarkari swikriti bana deta hai.
🌱 Shabd ka Utpatti (Etymology)
Engrossment comes from:
– “en-” = into
– “grossus” (Latin) = large, whole
– Originally referred to copying in large formal script
Toh engrossment ka arth hai: “the act of producing the official, final version of a legal or public document.”
📖 Mahatvapurn Shabdavali (Key Vocabulary)
- 🔑 Engrossment: Final formalization of a document to make it legally binding
- 🔑 19th Amendment: U.S. constitutional amendment granting women suffrage
- 🔑 Suffrage Movement: The campaign for women’s right to vote
- 🔑 Ratification: Approval by the required number of states (36 of 48 at that time)
- 🔑 Tennessee: The final state whose vote tipped the balance
- 🔑 Susan B. Anthony & Elizabeth Cady Stanton: Pioneers of the suffrage cause
🏛️ Itihasik Sandarbh (Historical Context)
1848: The Seneca Falls Convention marks the formal beginning of the U.S. women’s suffrage movement
Decades of protests, arrests, hunger strikes, and lobbying follow
1919: Congress passes the 19th Amendment
18 August 1920: Tennessee becomes the 36th state to ratify it
– The engrossed amendment becomes part of the U.S. Constitution
– Women across the U.S. are legally enfranchised
It took one signature on a formally engrossed document to affirm millions of unheard voices.
⏳ Samayrekha (Timeline)
- 1848: Seneca Falls Convention
- 1869: National Woman Suffrage Association founded
- 1919: 19th Amendment passed by Congress
- 18 August 1920: Ratified by Tennessee, the final state needed
- 26 August 1920: Certified by Secretary of State Bainbridge Colby
- 1920 Election: First U.S. federal election in which women vote nationwide
🌟 Is Din ka Mahatva (The Day’s Significance)
18 August ka arth hai:
✅ A turning point where activism became law
✅ A moment when a legal act symbolized social transformation
✅ Proof that engrossment is not just ink on parchment—it’s a mirror of people’s perseverance
✅ A day that shows: Kabhi kabhi ek signature, ek civilizational shift ke barabar hota hai
Yeh din batata hai: Jab nayi tarah ki sarkari bhasha likhi jaati hai, toh woh kai purani cheekhon ka saar hoti hai.
💬 Prasiddh Ukti (Quote)
“Men, their rights, and nothing more; women, their rights, and nothing less.”
— Susan B. Anthony(Matlab: Engrossment tabhi meaningful hai, jab vo sabke adhikar ko likhne ka kaam kare.)
🔮 Aaj Ka Matlab aur Chintan (Modern Usage & Reflection)
Aaj Engrossment ka use hota hai:
✅ Law & legislation: Finalized bills and constitutional amendments
✅ Contracts & agreements: When drafts become official
✅ Symbolic reflection: The weight of formality and recognition
✅ Writing with purpose: Giving permanence to collective voices
Yeh shabd hume yaad dilata hai: Document banana likhna nahi hota—nishaan banana hota hai.
🏛️ Virast (Legacy)
✅ The 19th Amendment reshaped U.S. democracy, doubling the electorate
✅ Inspired future civil rights movements and gender equality battles
✅ Demonstrated that persistent civic pressure can change constitutional reality
✅ Today, its engrossment is displayed in museums as a symbol of people-powered reform
🔍 Tulnatmak Vishleshan (Comparative Analysis)
Pehle: Engrossment meant clerical or legal finalization
Baad me: It acquired symbolic and moral weight in social justice contexts
Aaj: It stands for the moment when movements become mandates
Yeh shift batata hai: True engrossment sirf document ko finalize nahi karta—woh itihas ko confirm karta hai.
💡 Kya Aapko Pata Hai? (Did You Know?)
🎓 Antim Vichar (Conclusion)
‘Engrossment’ ek aisa shabd hai jo andolan se adhikar tak ke safar ka antim padav hota hai.
18 August 1920 ko ek kalam ne sirf ek sanshodhan nahi kiya—usne ek samajik kranti ka chhota sa lekin amar saakshaat banaya.
Aaj jab hum laws, liberation, aur legal memory ki baat karte hain—Engrossment reminds us:
“When change becomes ink, history becomes irreversible.”
📚 Aage Padhne Ke Liye (Further Reading)
- 📖 Century of Struggle – Eleanor Flexner
- 📖 The Woman’s Hour – Elaine Weiss
- 📖 Votes for Women! – Winifred Conkling
- 📖 Sisters: The Lives of America’s Suffragists – Jean H. Baker
- 📖 Why They Marched – Susan Ware
