Examples of Political Reform in History

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“I often wonder whether we do not rest our hopes too much upon constitutions, upon laws, and upon courts. These are false hopes; believe me, these are false hopes. Liberty lies in the hearts of men and women; when it dies there, no constitution, no law, not court can save it” (Judge Learned Hand, uen.org). In other words, one should not depend on these constitutions to make the changes they wish to see. In history, there have been numerous examples of political reform and change, but, in many cases, it was possible because an individual or group of people believed in something so strongly that they did everything in their power to initiate a transformation in society. Some tactics used were very successful, while others weren’t quite as impactful, nevertheless, these groups of people and organizations should be recognized for taking leadership even if it meant risking their lives, in some cases, and standing against the majority. The fight for equality between men and women was a major issue. In 1869 Elizabeth Stanton and Susan B. Anthony formed the National Woman Suffrage Association, which craved to achieve voting rights for women by making a Congressional amendment to the Constitution. These women along with many others spent much of their lives campaigning, raising issues to women in areas of education and divorce, holding conventions and meetings, writing numerous letters, and traveling from city to city to gain supporters. At the same time, many were against women having a large role in society, especially men, because they believed a women’s role should be contained in the household taking care of the family; the men wanted to be the providers. Finally, in 1920 the 19th Amendment was admitted to the Constitution allowing w... ... middle of paper ... ...anges in our society, and although some were more successful than others, they have brought us to where our nation is today. Individuals were able to make changes through striking, boycotting, and coming together. Violence was used in many instances to repress the reformers but that rarely stopped them. When one really believes in a cause, nothing will stand against them. Some events, such as the women’s suffrage movement, the fight for black’s equality, and the strive for better working conditions took years to accomplish, but the good they did for our nation is beyond our wildest dreams. Still today, we see examples of changes within our society such as the community organizing, Greenpeace and the activism through poetry. Anyone can have a voice, and citizens standing up for what they believe and making a difference in society is what democracy is all about.

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