Equality In The Negro Woman And The Ballot

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Establishing a government that responds to its people and gives them equal political influence is the ultimate American goal. To better grasp the idea of equality in America, it started with the Founding Fathers establishing our First Principles to secure our freedom and liberties. Equality is a First Principle that acknowledged all people are created equal. Although equality is a cherished value, many people have different depictions of what equality means. A great deal of writing about “equality” from our Founders still does not clear up the confusion that besieges the term. “The Negro Woman and the Ballot” written by Alice Dunbar Nelson discusses the inequality African-American women went through in the voting process. Women didn’t get …show more content…

Patrick Henry outlined all the issues in the government and if the people didn’t inherit their liberties there would be war. Patrick declared “Gentlemen may cry, Peace, Peace but there is no peace. The war is actually begun! The next gale that sweeps from the north will bring to our ears the clash of resounding arms! Our brethren are already in the field! Why stand we here idle?” (66-70). Patrick Henry and the African-American women have comparable characteristics of perseverance and strength. African-American women had to deal with the discrimination of not only being a woman but being a black woman. They participated in women suffrage movements to get their voices heard and stopped at nothing to get their rights. Another text that incubuses the values of perseverance talked about in Patrick Henry’s speech is “Why We Are Militant” by Emmeline Pankhurst. In this speech, she talked very bluntly and aggressively about the inequality women went through. Henry’s speech is also based of emotion and his passion flowed through the speech making it very persuasive. When speaking of violence Pankhurst says “…the only justification for violence, the only justification for damage of property, the only justification of for risk to the comfort of other human beings is the fact that you have tried all other available means and have failed to secure justice…” (156). This quote is directly linked to Patrick Henry’s most famous line in his speech, “Give Me Liberty Or Give Me

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