Women's Suffrage Movement Research Paper

In the late 1800’s through the early 1900’s, women were not given the rights they have today and were being mistreated, but because of a few brave women who gave up their lives to fight for what they knew was right, this all changed. Many of these women were educated and brave, but were still denied their rights. Women have suffered through this long battle to get what they knew they deserved and took time out of their lives to fight for what they believed in, which was to have a voice. Women wanted to get the same respect that men were given. The women’s suffrage movement was not only in the United States, but it was all over the world. It took the women’s suffrage movement many years to work and come through, but women were finally able to vote and have the same rights as men. Through their work in the suffrage movement, Lucretia Mott, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Susan B. Anthony and many more changed the role of women in society.

Revised Thesis: The women’s suffrage movement opened many doors for the women of America and allowed them to achieve many objects they had never before thought of including: economic roles, political positions, and a place in social society.

Susan Brownell Anthony was a magnificent women who devoted most of her life to gain the right for women to vote. She traveled the United States by stage coach, wagon, and train giving many speeches, up to 75 to 100 a year, for 45 years. She went as far as writing a newspaper, the Revolution, and casting a ballot, despite it being illegal.

Who were the main people involved? Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott initiated the first Women's Suffrage Movement, July 19, 1848 at Seneca Falls Convention, New York. At this convention Elizabeth Cady Stanton echoed the preamble of the Declaration Of Independence. “ We hold these truths to be self- evident: that all men and women are created equally.” Proving that when we declared our independence it was for everyone not just men. In 1866, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony formed an American Equal Rights Association. The Association was dedicated to the suffrage goals regardless of race or gender. Lucy Stone fought about the 15th Amendment, Ratified in 1870, and that the Amendment states that, “ The right of citizens to vote shall not be denied on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.Many of the women involved in suffrage began political work in the antislavery

In the summer of eighteen forty-eight two women Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B Anthony who founded the National Women’s Suffrage Association in eighteen sixty-nine met with a small group of people determined to give women a larger sphere of action than the laws and customs of that day allowed (Taylor 13). At this time in our country women were denied the right to vote, made to give their husbands the land and property which they may have control of, plus nearly no say in legal or professional matters. To give you an idea of what the women were up against on July thirtieth, eighteen sixty-eight a group lead by T.H. Mundine wrote a declaration stating that all persons meeting age, residences, and citizenship requirements be deemed qualified electors “without distinction of sex” (Taylor 14). This motion was referred to the state of Texas and in January eighteen sixty-nine, it was rejected on a vote of fifty-two – thirteen. The motion that was shot down was not anything to major by today’s standards. It was a simple bill to allow women to have a more reasonable portion of the burdens of government (Taylor 14). As this example illustrates women had a huge wall to climb of they wanted to be even with men in societies eyes.

The Women’s Suffrage Movement of the 1920’s worked to grant women the right to vote nationally, thereby allowing women more political equality. Due to many industrial and social changes during the early 19th century, many women were involved in social advocacy efforts, which eventually led them to advocate for their own right to vote and take part in government agencies. Women have been an integral part of society, working to help those in need, which then fueled a desire to advocate for their own social and political equality. While many women worked tirelessly for the vote, many obstacles, factions, and ultimately time would pass in order for women to see the vote on the national level. The 19th Amendment, providing women the right to vote, enable women further their pursuit for full inclusion in the working of American society.

Susan B Anthony, a real dedicator to gaining women's rights, was introduced to abolitionism by Amelia Bloomer. (Weatherford 161) Her friendship ended up with a meeting with Elizabeth Cady Stanton, her lifelong partner in fighting for women's rights. Susan B Anthony did travelling and spoke widely, and became more focused on women's suffrage. She also helped to found the American Equal Rights Association and the National Woman Suffrage Association. with Lucy Stone. In 1872, in an attempt to claim that the constitution already permitted women to vote, Susan B. Anthony cast a test vote in Rochester, New York, in the presidential election. She was found guilty,

Women’s suffrage, or the crusade to achieve the equal right for women to vote and run for political office, was a difficult fight that took activists in the United States almost 100 years to win. On August 26, 1920 the 19th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States was ratified, declaring all women be empowered with the same rights and responsibilities of citizenship as men, and on Election Day, 1920 millions of women exercised their right to vote for the very first time.

The passage of women’s suffrage was a long journey which included many conventions and organizations to kick it off. Women’s suffrage was an idea that came from the women’s rights movement, which held conventions. These conventions were a big attribute to the passage of women’s suffrage. Women’s suffrage first became a political issue when it was brought up in 1848 at the Seneca Falls convention, located in Seneca Falls, New York. Five women, four of which were Quaker rights activists, called the two day long convention. The resolution of the convention was a declaration of sentiments, signed by one hundred of the three hundred people who attended the convention. After this convention, women’s rights activists were determined to keep fighting

The women 's suffrage movement, the time when women fought for their rights, began in the year 1848 and continued on all the way through the 1860s. Although women in the new republic had important roles in the family, the house, and other obligations, they were excluded from most rights. These rights included political and legal rights. Due to their gender, they have been held back because they did not have as much opportunities as the men did. The new republic made alterations in the roles of women by disparaging them in society. During this era, men received a higher status than women. Because women were forced to follow laws without being allowed to state their opinions, they tried to resist laws, fight for their freedom and strive to gain equality with men. This leads to feminism, the belief in political, social, and economic equality between men and women. It is the feminist efforts that have successfully tried to give rights that men had, to women who have been denied those rights. Upon the deprivation of those rights, the Seneca Falls convention and the Declaration of Sentiments helped women gain the privileges and opportunities to accomplish the task of equality that they have been striving for.

Anthony changed the game for all women. Susan B. Anthony was born on February 15, 1820. She was born into a politically active family. Her family was part of the abolitionist movement, to end slavery, and also the temperance movement, to get the production of alcohol to be limited or stopped. While Susan was campaigning for the alcohol  she was inspired to fight for women's rights.

Finally, the lives of women changed dramatically. Groups have worked together for the interest of women and girls. Women's rights movements focused on the goals of equal rights under the law and equal access to education, careers, and political

The women's rights movement of the mid-nineteenth century unified women around a number of issues that were seen as fundamental rights for all citizens; they included: the right to own property, access to higher education, reproductive rights, and suffrage. Women's suffrage was the most controversial women's rights issue of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries and divided early feminists on ideological lines. After women secured the right to vote in 1917, the women's rights movement lost much of its momentum. During World War I and World War II woman had no other choice than to join the workforce. Somebody needed to keep everything up and keep it going. The women working in the work force was tended to work temporarily until the

Suffragettes fought for women's right to vote, but feminism included more than that. It included legal rights, financial independence and the relationship between men and women. After the ratification of the 19th Amendment in 1920, which granted women voting rights, feminism changed. (Langley

Anthony's speech for women's suffrage from Arena Magazine that represents the importance of the women's suffrage movement during the Progressive era. This reform fits with the Progressivism goal of providing legislation for the "common good" of the people and supports a higher level of democracy. Most women supported this movement, some men and politicians did but many were against it due to fear that they would then have to do the domestic chores and care for the children. Males that were against this reform also believed that women were to innocent and kind for the corruption of politics. The Women's Suffrage Reform at times contradicted the Afrivan American Civil Rights movement because some suffrage associations like the National American Womans Suffrage Association believed that white women should achieve voting rights before African Americans ever do. The women's suffrage movements eventually accomplished suffrage with the establishment of the 19th Amendment allowing women to