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History of women suffrage
Women suffrage movements
Women suffrage movements
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The suffrage movement first emerged at the turn of the century and Civil War when African American slaves were denied the right to vote, a benefit that a majority agreed was associated with citizenship, and therefore should be applicable to all freed slaves. This set the grounds for a suffrage movement that later evolved into a larger issue centered on antislavery reform. Joining together to fight for benefits that were being withheld from American citizens, the role of women came into play during this time as the most active abolitionists who came together to organize petitions, conventions, and raise funds to help further the movement. Women played a vital role in being heard through protests and local publications of their thoughts. Novels such as Uncle Tom’s Cabin and Clotel, along with articles in popular news publications, shed much light and attention on anti-slavery reform, while also sparking the inspiration for women’s rights (Britton, 2006). As this movement was slowly developing, women continued to fight for anti-slavery reform. During this, opponents to women participation in the efforts came forth and voiced their own critical opinions. Around 1837, the General Association of Congregational Ministers of Massachusetts had issued their "Pastoral Letter," a response to the political activity of the Grimke’s, two sisters who were heavily active and public in their fight for anti-slavery reform. In this letter, the ministers urged women to reject stepping out of the “public sphere” and to instead embrace the private, encouraging "the cultivation of private Christian character, and private efforts for the spiritual good of individuals" (General Association, 2006). In response to these views, Susan Grimke challenged the le... ... middle of paper ... ...of the electoral vote in critical swing states necessary for Obama’s reelection victory (Casserly, 2012). Candidates now address issues entirely centered on women’s needs and concerns, knowing any win is impossible without support of female voters. This validates the current power women hold in the political arena today, and the impact their voice has made to society since being granted the freedom to vote. Through the use of messages such as public conventions, speeches, literary pieces, published works, unions, groups, and memorabilia, the suffrage movement’s goal of achieving equal voting rights for women to be the same as men can be credited as providing the stomping grounds for women to seek a stronger hand in society and to the evolution of women’s rights to include equal freedoms to men in arenas such as education, the work force, and military involvement.
Up until and during the mid -1800’s, women were stereotyped and not given the same rights that men had. Women were not allowed to vote, speak publically, stand for office and had no influence in public affairs. They received poorer education than men did and there was not one church, except for the Quakers, that allowed women to have a say in church affairs. Women also did not have any legal rights and were not permitted to own property. Overall, people believed that a woman only belonged in the home and that the only rule she may ever obtain was over her children. However, during the pre- Civil war era, woman began to stand up for what they believed in and to change the way that people viewed society (Lerner, 1971). Two of the most famous pioneers in the women’s rights movement, as well as abolition, were two sisters from South Carolina: Sarah and Angelina Grimké.
The womens abolitionists movement was essentially the birth of the American women’s rights movement that lasted from 1858-1920 (Leonhardt 2.A). Womens abolitionism during the time of the civil war was a movement intended to prohibit and end slavery in the states; done by trying to educate the public on the immorality of slavery. These women that joined forces with male protesters helped condemn slavery, calling for an end to the “peculiar institution” (Leonhardt 2.A). It was through women's’ involvement, organization and preparation that some women were able to become some-what respected leaders in the women’s movement.
What does “movement” mean? There are many definitions for the word. In this case, I am referring to a political meaning. Movement is a series of organized activities working toward an objective. There have been many groups in history to start up movements throughout the decades. One that stands out to me the most is the Women’s Suffrage Movement. Women’s movements are led by powerful, courageous women who push to better the lives’ of women or lives’ of others. Most familiar movements are those involved in politics, in efforts to change the roles and status of womanhood in society. Groups of women also attempt to improve lives of others with the help of religious and charitable activities. Either it was a political, religious, or charitable women’s movement, each woman of each group have made an impact on today’s view of women and achieved greater political involvement.
The Women’s Suffrage Movement had begun in 1848…I am continuing this journal off of previous journalists. It is now 1920. The 19th Amendment has just been ratified by the states. This suffrage movement has been one of the longest movements in a long time. Somehow it has finally succeeded. I had found out how it all come into play and why it had succeeded. It has taken decades for the reformers and activists to win the right. I have seen several disagreements and threatens during this movement and it has been crazy. Reading off the previous journals, I will explain how this all became successful. Around 1910 is when many western states had begun to agree on giving women the right to vote. NAWSA had gotten more of the Southern states as well
This section on women's history will show the events that led to the suffrage movement and what the outcome was after the movement, plus how those events are involved in today's society. The women of the post suffrage era would not have the ability to the wide variety of professions were it not for their successes in the political arena for that time. In the early 1900’s when women were barred from most professions and limited in the amount of money they could earn, a group of suffragists led by Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton started to develop the women into an influential and powerful leaders of this country. The original women who started the suffrage movement had nothing to build on form former women groups. Therefore these women were the pioneers of the women's movement. The next era of women took the prior teaching of Anthony and Stanton and took it one step further with forming groups of women who not only talked about women's rights but also what they could do for country as well. They final step in the suffrage movement was the making of allies with powerful men who could help them take what they have learned from the earlier groups and combine that with the new concepts to form a powerful gender.
The Abolitionist Movement transformed the role of women in American History. Prior to the abolitionist movement, women were viewed as invisible icons in society. A typical woman would only be responsible for motherhood duties, cleaning, and preparing food. While many women agreed with this, others did not. The desire to be heard and treated equally was something numerous women shared. Astonishing women like, Sojourner Truth, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Grimke sisters became prominent leaders in the abolitionist movement and made a pathway in history by initiating speeches, participating in female politics and supporting their personal opinions of women’s rights through religious doctrines.
“Compare and contrast women’s suffrage movements of the late nineteenth and early centuries with the European feminist movements of the 1960’s and 1970’s.” Whereas the women’s suffrage movements focused mainly on overturning legal obstacles to equality, the feminist movements successfully addressed a broad range of other feminist issues. The first dealt primarily with voting rights and the latter dealt with inequalities such as equal pay and reproductive rights. Both movements made vast gains to the social and legal status of women.
Throughout the 1800s, women across the world began establishing organizations to demand women’s suffrage in their countries. Today, there are still women in countries fighting for their right to vote. Some countries who’ve succeeded in the mid to late 1800s were Sweden and New Zealand. Once they expanded women’s suffrage, many other countries followed. Like Sweden, countries first granted limited suffrage to women and other countries approved to the full national level. Additionally, there were quite a few countries who had taken over a century to give women the right to vote, Qatar being a prime example. Although the fight for women’s suffrage varied in the United States, France, and Cuba in terms of length and process, each effort ultimately
Karpinski, Joanne B. “Women’s Suffrage.” American History Through Literature 1870-1920. Ed. Tom Quirk and Gary Scharnhorst. Vol. 3. Detroit: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 2006. 1207-1214. U.S. History in Context. Web. 20 May 2014.
Women throughout the suffrage act were faced with many challenges that eventually led into the leading roles of women in the world today. Suffrage leaders adopted new arguments to gain new support. Rather than insisting on the justice of women’s suffrage, or emphasizing equal rights, they spoke of the special moral and material instincts women could bring to the table. Because of these women taking leaps and boundaries, they are now a large part of America’s government, and how our country operates.
According to the text,” Abolitionism arose out of a deep religious conviction that slave-holding was a sin that the truly god-fearing had the obligation to eliminate.” (DuBois, 2012, p. 268). In 1936, Boston Female Anti-Slavery Society implored that each woman in the land must do a Christian woman’s duty, and the result cannot fail to be instant, peaceful, unconditional deliverance. Unlike any other movement seen before, women along with men would join into open conflict with America’s basic political and religious institutions. Sarah and Angelina Grimke rose to the roles as the leaders for the movement. They made many speeches to men and women regarding the issue and even found themselves condemned from the church for their actions. The need for change was growing over the overwhelming feel for abolishment of slavery as well as a role for women. In the 1840s, many leaders seen from the abolitionist movement moved to seek not only freedom from slavery but for the future of women as a whole. The Grimkes defense of their equal right to champion slaves led many women into the women’s rights movement. Female abolitionists faced discrimination within the movement, this then led to the need for a women’s rights movement. Pushback was also seen when women who supported the abolishment for slavery were treated the same as those being prosecuted by white religious women and men who saw their views as incorrect. A change was needed and
How much can really change in 100 years? Well, if you’re woman a whole heck of a lot can! In 1914 a woman didn’t have the right to vote or hold political office, her work force options were very limited and regardless the situation in her marriage divorce was not an option. Fast forward to 2018, suddenly the world now looks a whole lot different for that same woman; now she has endless opportunities!
The woman suffrage movement is an influential mark on european history. Emmeline Pankhurst is a notable British suffrage leader through her founding of the Women’s Social and Political Union and radical “deeds”. Millicent Fawcett is also a notable British suffrage leader of the National Union of Women's Suffrage Societies, and known for her peaceful and “law-abiding” campaigns. Both of these women were influential to history because of their different ideas on how women should have the same rights and equal standing as men.
During the 19th century, women began efforts to change society’s perspective of women’s place in society. Such topics include family responsibilities, the lack of education allowed, economic opportunities, and the need of voice representation in political debates. The idea that would start the movement happen when Lucretia Mott and Elizabeth Cady Stanton were denied to attend the Anti-slavery convention in London this caused them to arrange the first Women’s convention in Seneca falls, New York. Both women were denied entrance because the men in this era believed limiting women’s rights as in family responsibilities, a lack of edu...
First off, during World War One and in the 1920s, women did not have political/voting rights and were treated unfairly when it came to politics and the government. When World War One broke out, women’s roles changed from mothers to factory workers. War was considered more important than anything else and gender did not matter. The campaign for women’s suffrage closed out aggressive activities and the suffragettes agreed to help with the war. Women’s suffrage was an issue during World War One, and this kept women from being able to vote. During 1914, The Suffragette Movement happened—this was when suffragists worked hard to convince men in the government to give women their voting rights (Stearman 10). James F. McMillan states in his book “The Coming of Women’s Suffrage”: “By identifying with the state, feminists could hope that the state would identify with women and recognize their rights in the public sphere” (McMillan 25 April 2014). Eventually, the rights in politics for women started to evolve. In 1917 to 1919, voting rights for women evolved. Starting in 1917, voting rights were only given to nurses. In 1918, they were given to females of relative soldiers and those involved in conscription. In 1919, voting was given to all women and the amendment passed through the Senate (Stearman 18). During this time period, 8.5 million women were granted the power of voting—this was 40% of the total number of women (Sungrab 10 April 2014). Voting should be universal and should not discriminate anyone because of gender. Women worked hard to achieve their goal: by protesting in parades, campaigning with posters and asking the government to give them their rights not just as women, but as humans. Welfare, benefits, voting and healthcare we...