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History regarding womens suffrage
An overview of women's suffrage
Womens suffrage us history chapter 18
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“There will never be a new world order until women are a part of it”-Alice Paul. Alice Paul truly lived out this quote. Alice impacted society in many ways, such as fighting for women’s rights, getting women into power, and dedicating her entire life to fight for women's suffrage. Alice was part of many organizations for women's suffrage. Alice thought that the world had so many problems because women were not in power.
Alice Paul was born on January 11th, 1885 in Moorestown, New Jersey. Alice was raised in a Quaker lifestyle. Throughout her childhood, Alice was motivated to reach for the stars and to persevere her dreams. Alice Paul graduated from Swarthmore College in 1905 and then continued her studies in New York and eventually got
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a degree in sociology. After she graduated, Alice went to Europe to do post graduate work and was inspired by the Pankhurst sisters. Alice went back to the United States inspired and ready to start protesting for gender equality. In 1912, Alice Paul became chairman of the Congressional Committee of the National American Suffrage Association.
Nearly a year later, Alice became tired of the associations policies and then created her own association. It became known as the Congressional Union for Women’s Suffrage and eventually grew and became the National Women’s Party. As her association became known, it inspired other women to join and to protest for their rights. She soon had an army of women protesting for their equal rights.
“Mr. President, how long must women wait for liberty?” is a quote from one of the many picket signs that were used for protesting equal rights to the president. The president at the time, Woodrow Wilson, and Alice Paul had an ongoing feud because he felt that her actions were “unladylike”. This feud fueled her passion to fight for her rights.
In 1923, Alice went to congress and asked them to pass the first equal rights amendment to the constitution. It ultimately failed to pass. Alice Paul soon started her work internationally and got the attention of the League of Nations. She became chairman of the Women’s Rights Foundation from 1927 to 1937. After she left the Women’s Rights Foundation, Alice soon created the World Women’s Party. In 1942, Alice was elected chairman of the National Women’s Party. As she was working for gender equality, she eventually got an equal rights amendment added to the Preamble of the United Nations in 1964. In the 1970’s, the equal rights amendment was ratified in 35 states, and in 1982, it was only three states away from becoming an constitutional
amendment. Alice Paul died on July 9, 1977 in Moorestown, New Jersey. Alice Paul is considered the oldest and most loyal women for the fight of equal rights. Alice Paul has an institute in honor of her that still promotes equal rights. She is also in the New Jersey’s Hall of Fame. Alice has inspired and led women to have freedom and rights. Alice Paul was a wonderful person who fought for her rights and never let anyone tell her otherwise.
In 1923, the Equal Rights Amendment was drafted by Alice Paul and subsequently introduced to Congress. Paul and the National Organization for Women began campaigning for its passage in 1967. In 1972, Congress passed the ERA and the states began to evaluate it for ratification, with a seven-year deadline. It garnered the support of 22 states in the first year, but the level of support slowly dwindled as time went on. The opposition against the ERA was headed by Phyllis Schlafly, the leader of Stop ERA. Opponents were effective in persuading states to abando...
These events were often talked about in the media, thus raising awareness for women’s suffrage (The Women’s Rights Movement). Alice Paul wasn’t alone in her efforts. Lucy Burns, also a member of the NWP, organized political campaigns, and was the editor of the Suffragist (Lucy Burns). Paul, Burns and the Silent Sentinels picketed in front of the White House (Alice Paul, 1885-1977). They were often harassed because of their progressive beliefs.
In, “The Speech of Miss Polly Baker” written by Benjamin Franklin (one of the Founding Fathers) in 1747, brought up the disparities that were between men and women within the judicial system. Also, “The Speech of Miss Polly Baker” also briefly points out, how religion has been intertwined with politics. All throughout “The Speech of Miss Polly Baker,” Benjamin Franklin uses very intense diction and syntax to help support what he is trying to express to the rest of society. Also writing this speech in the view point of a women, greatly helps establish what he is trying to say. If Benjamin Franklin was to write it as a man, the speech my have not had the same passionate effect as it currently has.
The 19th century was a time of great social change in the United States as reflected by the abolitionist movement and the women’s suffrage movement. Two very influential women leaders were Angelina Grimke and Sojourner Truth. Grimke was born a Southern, upper class white woman. She moved to the North as a young woman, grew involved in abolitionism and women’s rights, and became known for her writing, particularly “Letters to Catherine Beecher”. Sojourner Truth was born into slavery as Isabella Baumfree; she escaped to freedom, changed her name, and became an active speaker on behalf of both the abolition and women’s rights movements. Truth’s most famous speech is “Ain’t I a Woman?”. While both Grimke and Truth use a personal, conversational tone to communicate their ideas, Grimke relies primarily on logical arguments and Truth makes a more emotional appeal through the use of literary strategies and speech.
Elizabeth Cady Stanton’s speech was very impactful thanks to her well thought-out address, emotionally impactful statements, and rhetorical devices. By using emotional, logical, and ethical appeals, she was able to persuade many, and show a first hand look at someone personally crippled by the lack of women’s rights in her time. Through her experience, she was able to give an exceptional speech conveying the deprivation of women in her time, changing society, and helping women reach equality in America.
Though quiet, sickly, and shy, Abigail Adams, the wife of second president John Adams, helped plant the seeds that eventually led to the concept of women¹s rights and women¹s equality with men. For a country which had been founded on the idea of independence for all, these concepts were still considered radical and even ridiculous.
A women suffrage amendment was brought to the U.S. Congress in 1868 but failed to win support as well as a second amendment in 1878. In 1869 a woman named Elizabeth Cady Stanton got together with Susan B. Anthony, a women’s rights activist, and organized an association called the National Woman Suffrage Association. With this union they would gather with women and fight for women’s suffrage. Later, in 1890 they joined with their competitor the American Women Suffrage Association and became the National American Women Suffrage Association. “NAWSA adopted a moderate approach to female suffrage, eschewing some of the more radical feminism of other women’s rights groups in favor of a national plan designed to gain widespread support” (3). What the association did was they changed their initial tactic towards suffrage for women so that they can be able to obtain support from all over. Having little to no movement on the national front, suffragists took the next step to sate level. That was when Eastern states granted women suffrage, but hadn’t spread to Western states.
In the 1840’s, most of American women were beginning to become agitated by the morals and values that were expected of womanhood. “Historians have named this the ’Cult of True Womanhood’: that is, the idea that the only ‘true’ woman was a pious, submissive wife and mother concerned exclusively with home and family” (History.com). Voting was only the right of men, but women were on the brink to let their voices be heard. Women pioneers such as Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott wrote eleven resolutions in The Seneca Falls Declaration of Sentiments; this historical document demanded abolishment of any laws that authorized unequal treatment of women and to allow for passage of a suffrage amendment.
Women, like black slaves, were treated unequally from the male before the nineteenth century. The role of the women played the part of their description, physically and emotionally weak, which during this time period all women did was took care of their household and husband, and followed their orders. Women were classified as the “weaker sex” or below the standards of men in the early part of the century. Soon after the decades unfolded, women gradually surfaced to breathe the air of freedom and self determination, when they were given specific freedoms such as the opportunity for an education, their voting rights, ownership of property, and being employed.
The Equal Rights Amendment began its earliest discussions in 1920. These discussions took place immediately after two-thirds of the states approved women's suffrage. The nineteenth century was intertwined with several feminist movements such as abortion, temperance, birth control and equality. Many lobbyists and political education groups formed in these times. One such organization is the Eagle Forum, who claims to lead the pro-family movement. On the opposite side of the coin is The National Organization for Women, or NOW, which takes action to better the position of women in society. Feminism is the most powerful force for change in our time. The Equal Rights Amendment has been a powerfully debated subject for decades. Having passed the Senate with a vote of 84-8, it failed to get the requisite thirty-eight states to ratify it. Many discussions and arguments arise over the continued push for the Equal Rights Amendment. The need for change must be a consensus and achieved both nationally and at the state level. The attempt to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment continues, but with few supports left, it appears to have lost its momentum.
...zabeth Cady Stanton was born in 1815 and died in 1902. While on a honeymoon, she met a young lady by the name of Lucretia Mott. Both were present at a World’s Anti-Slavery Convention, which Stanton’s husband was a delegate of. Stanton and Mott were infuriated with the rejection of women so they decided to enforce a women’s rights meeting. This meeting was considered a Women’s Rights convention and was held in Seneca Falls. This was the very first meeting and was located in New York. Stanton then composed “The Declaration of Sentiments.” The text proposed that women should receive the right education, and changes of the law to raise the status of a “lady.” Women who attended the very first convention agreed to sign the declaration. In that same of year, Stanton spread protests and appeals to the New York congress to pass acts related to the married women of New York.
It was Theodore Roosevelt, who stated that, “Nobody cares how much you know until they know how much you care”, conveying the idea that with no voice comes no change. In the morning of August 26, 1920, the 19th amendment was ratified, which centralized mainly on the enfranchisement of women. Today, they have the legal right to vote, and the ability to speak openly for themselves, but most of all they are now free and equal citizens. However this victorious triumph in American history would not have been achieved without the strong voices of determined women, risking their lives to show the world how much they truly cared. Women suffragists in the 19th century had a strong passion to change their lifestyle, their jobs around the nineteenth century were limited to just children, family, and domestic duties. It consisted of a very low rate of education, and job opportunities. They could not share their opinion publicly and were expected to support their male family members and husbands during the time. Women knew that the way to enfranchisement was going to be tenacious, and full of obstacles along the way. Therefore a new organization was formed, The National American Women Association (NAWSA), representing millions of women and Elizabeth Cady Stanton as the first party president. This organization was founded in 1890, which strategized on the women getting education in order to strengthen their knowledge to prepare for the suffrage fight. NAWSA mainly focused on the right to vote one state at a time. In 1917, a member named Alice Paul, split apart from NAWSA because of the organization’s tactics and major goals. Due to this split, many other suffragists from NAWSA bitterly divided into a new organization named, National Women’s ...
There were many women who fought for female equality, and many who didn’t care, but eventually the feminists won the vote. Women today are still fighting for equality in the home, in the workplace, and in society as a whole, which seems like it may take centuries of more slow progress to achieve.
• Alice Walker was born on February 9, 1944 in Eatonton, Georgia. She was born into a poor sharecropper family, and the last of eight children.
At one of Paul’s demonstrations in DC, they are speaking to women factory workers who are not aware that they should be able to vote for something like having a fire exit in the factory. Gaining the support from working class women was very important to the movement because these women are at the brunt of society’s negative views and are most affected by the societal hardships. Paul’s feminist movement received additional support from Ida B. Wells, an African American women rights activist, as long as they were allowed to march with the white women, not behind them. Although this minute aspect of the movie did not thoroughly discuss the racist issues also present at the time, it made me think about Sojourner Truth’s speech ‘Ain’t I a Woman?’ Representation from all races and social classes is imperative in the fight for women’s equality because African American women are women too, color does not matter.