"We ask justice, we ask equality, we ask that all the civil and political rights that belong to citizens of the United States, be guaranteed to us and our daughters forever ("Declaration” 18). This statement from the Declaration of Rights of the Women of the United States, compiled by the National Woman Suffrage Association, was read on July 4th, 1876 at Independence Square as an unexpected part of the nation’s centennial celebration. Originally, five women made a request for the document to be read at the official proceedings, but it was denied; however, the women decided to continue with their plan. At the celebration, they marched straight down the aisle to the podium where Susan B. Anthony delivered their Declaration to a “receptive crowd” (Rynder 15). The spirit evident in this event and statement completely captures the essence of the women’s revolution, not only in the United States, but in Europe as well. Feminism, according to the Oxford Dictionary, is the advocacy of women’s rights on the grounds of political, social, and economic equality to men (1). This idea of feminism was exemplified with the actions of the five women beginning more than 100 years ago; however, in today’s society, many would agree that women are shown nearly the same impartiality as with men. The women’s movements in Europe and the United States had political, economic, and social similarities and differences that led to this revolution. In the United States, many political factors helped to develop the women’s revolution. After the Civil War took place in 1865, the major issues that arose came from the proposed 15th Amendment. This amendment, which gave black men the right to vote, created a huge controversy, not only between white and b... ... middle of paper ... ...ed women in the revolution ignored suffrage for the working-class, colonized, and in the United States, African American women during this time. Similarities also arose with the strategies of their campaigns. At the beginning of the movement, women focused on the equality of men and women; then, during the later years, they changed their tactics and argued about the differences between men and women and the unique contributions women can bring to their country. Another similarity revolves around the impact of World War I. In both states, the involvement of women throughout the war convinced many voting men to change their perspectives. After the war, many men believed that the women had earned their right to vote through their contributions to the war. Overall, the United States and Britain share many similar aspects in the women’s fight for suffrage.
Even though African Americans were now free and considered citizens thanks to the 13th and 14th amendments, they were still severely oppressed. While technically they had more rights and opportunities in the United Sates government than females, they did not truly receive them. As Frederick Douglass said over and over again in support of the 15th amendment, the abolishment of slavery did not eradicate racism. It was still a huge problem in America. Abolishment had been achieved in name and name only, because they were economically just as tyrannized as before. In the eyes of the feminists who supported the 15th amendment, they saw it as an opportunity for African American males to be able to make a bigger influence in American politics and hopefully lessen the iron fist they were under. With the ability to vote, the hope was that the rather large population of African American males would have the chance to make a real impact in
I have read Kathryn Kish Sklar book, brief History with documents of "Women's Rights Emerges within the Antislavery Movement, 1830-1870" with great interest and I have learned a lot. I share her fascination with the contours of nineteenth century women's rights movements, and their search for meaningful lessons we can draw from the past about American political culture today. I find their categories of so compelling, that when reading them, I frequently lost focus about women's rights movements history and became absorbed in their accounts of civic life.
During America's early history, women were denied some of the rights to well-being by men. For example, married women couldn't own property and had no legal claim to any money that they might earn, and women hadn't the right to vote. They were expected to focus on housework and motherhood, and didn't have to join politics. On the contrary, they didn't have to be interested in them. Then, in order to ratify this amendment they were prompted to a long and hard fight; victory took decades of agitation and protest. Beginning in the 19th century, some generations of women's suffrage supporters lobbied to achieve what a lot of Americans needed: a radical change of the Constitution. The movement for women's rights began to organize after 1848 at the national level. In July of that year, reformers Elizabeth Cady Stanton(1815-1902) and Lucretia Mott (1793-1880), along with Susan B. Anthony (1820-1906) and other activists organized the first convention for women's rights at Seneca Falls, New York. More than 300 people, mostly women but also some men, attended it. Then, they raised public awar...
Sixty- nine years after the Declaration of Independence, one group of women gathered together and formed the Seneca Falls Convention. Prior and subsequent to the convention, women were not allowed to vote because they were not considered equal to men. During the convention, Elizabeth Cady Stanton delivered the “Declaration of Sentiments.” It intentionally resembles the Declaration of Independence: “We hold these truths to be self-evident; that all men and women are created equal…” (Stanton, 466). She replaced the “men” with “men and women” to represent that women and men should be treated equally. Stanton and the other women in the convention tried to fight for voting rights. Dismally, when the Equal Rights Amendment was introduced to the Congress, the act failed to be passed. Even though women voiced their opinions out and urged for justice, they could not get 2/3 of the states to agree to pass the amendment. Women wanted to tackle on the voting inequalities, but was resulted with more inequalities because people failed to listen to them. One reason why women did not achieve their goals was because the image of the traditional roles of women was difficult to break through. During this time period, many people believed that women should remain as traditional housewives.
The fight for women’s rights began long before the Civil War, but the most prominent issue began after the fourteenth and fifteenth amendments joined the Constitution. The rights to all “citizens” of the United States identified all true “citizens” as men and therefore incited a revolution in civil rights for women (“The Fight for Women’s Suffrage”). The National Women’s Suffrage Convention of 1868
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. One reached its goals while the other continues to fight for women’s rights.
The thought of women having equal rights has caused major controversy throughout American History. Women have fought for their rights for many years, wanting to be more than a wife or a maid. Women’s Rights Movement was an effort by many women around the U.S standing up for themselves. Feminists like Charlotte Perkins Gilman had a big impact on the movement by writing stories and articles, she spread awareness by writing these. Throughout this Movement women got the right to vote, and many more opportunities they were not offered before.
This movement which was inspired by the ideologies of courageous women and fueled by their enthusiasm and sacrifice is often unacknowledged by most historians in the chronicles of American History. Today the movement is often misunderstood as a passive, white upper class, naive cause. But a deeper study would reveal that the women’s suffrage movement was the one that brought together the best and brightest women in America, which not only changed the lives of half the citizens of United States but also changed the social attitudes of millions of Americans.
The entire Women’s Movement in the United States has been quite extensive. It can be traced back to 1848, when the first women’s rights convention was held in Seneca Falls, New York. After two days of discussions, 100 men and women signed the Declaration of Sentiments. Drafted by Elizabeth Cady Stanton, this document called for equal treatment of women and men under the law and voting rights for women. This gathering set the agenda for the rest of the Women’s Movement long ago (Imbornoni). Over the next 100 years, many women played a part in supporting equal treatment for women, most notably leading to the ratification of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, which allowed women the right to vote.
The constitution is the entire government and legal system is based on, and women wanted to be formally recognized as equal. The American Revolution could be said to have been founded on the idea that “all men are created equal”. This statement comes with a big asterisk though, as it originally only intended white, property owning men. Throughout time however, amendments were added to the constitution to make this statement more inclusive, yet until the 19th amendment women had never been included. For women who had spent their whole lives fighting for equality, the importance of seeing the federal government recognize them as equal cannot be
“We hold these truths to be self-evident: That all men and women are created equal.” In the 19th century, the state of freedom of women in the United States was limited and contained a non-egalitarian relationship between men and women. Voting and participation in political decisions were reserved exclusively for men. Women began to desire for a different social climate involving the necessary rights to participate in society, regardless of sex. The effect of the Seneca Falls Convention led to a time of change and reform known as the Women’s Suffrage Movement, and influenced leading suffragists, who prompted the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment.
The Nineteenth Amendment to the U.S. Consititution provides women equal voting rights to men, and states citizens’ vote “shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.” It is the congress’ job to bring this regulation into focus (Grolier,2009). Women being given the right to vote is important not only to society but also because it has had a significant influence in women’s personal lives.
It made it possible for women to get voting rights and it made it possible for women to continue to gain equal rights today. The Women’s Rights Movement created different opportunities for them. It made it possible for them to vote, promote the increase in women’s pay, and have equal power men are able to have. This movement brought women together to fight for the rights they deserved. Women had hope for equal rights, they began lecturing, marching, and writing to achieve what the American women were fighting for (Gordon, Ann D.). The movement began with the first convention ever dedicated to women in 1848, called the Seneca Falls Convention where 68 women and 32 men signed the Declaration of Sentiments (1848 Declaration.). The Declaration of Sentiments of was based on the Declaration of Independence but included the rights women deserved in the text. It is also known as the “Women’s Declaration of Independence” (1848 Declaration). At the convention, they discussed and created an outline for the movement. The women worked together to fight for what they
Beginning in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century women began to vocalize their opinions and desires for the right to vote. The Women’s Suffrage movement paved the way to the nineteenth Amendment in the United States Constitution that allowed women that right. The Women’s Suffrage movement started a movement for equal rights for women that has continued to propel equal opportunities for women throughout the country. The Women’s Liberation Movement has sparked better opportunities, demanded respect and pioneered the path for women entering in the workforce that was started by the right to vote and given momentum in the late 1950s.
The feminist movement helped earn women the right to vote, but even then, it wasn’t enough to get accepted into the workforce. They were given the strength to fight the journey for equality and social justice. There has been known to be three waves of feminism, each wave fighting for a different issue concerning women’s rights. Laws protecting sexual assault and alimony would be enacted, and women were now allowed custody of their children in divorce cases.