Without a doubt, Lucy Burns played a key role in women's suffrage. During a time when women did not have the right to vote and when Woodrow Wilson sent the country into WWI, Lucy Burns, a women's rights activist, protested toward the treatment of women by picketing the White House, participating in parade confrontations, and giving speeches. After seven years of protesting, Lucy Burns and the National American Woman Suffrage Association convinced Woodrow Wilson to propose an amendment to the constitution which grants citizens, regardless of gender, the right to vote. Truly, Lucy Burns changed political power for the better.
Lucy Burns was born on July 29, 1879 into an Irish Catholic family of eight, living in Brooklyn New York. In 1902 Burns graduated from Vassar College which led to her post-graduate work at the Universities of Bonn and Berlin, and Oxford University.
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In 1909 she traveled to England and joined the Women’s Social and Political Union of Britain (WSPU). This association’s main goal was to gain women’s right to vote. Lucy’s involvement in the WSPU included giving speeches in marketplaces and on street corners. The WSPU would use violent tactics to gain attention. Some of these aggressive acts included breaking windows at the House of Commons and the United Service Institution in Whitefall. It was there that Burns met Alice Paul, another women’s suffragist, and later they returned to the United States in 1912 to begin fighting for their own rights. During the fight for women's rights there were many influences being put on the government and the women. These include the scientific reasons women were not recommended to vote, as well as dealing with World War I. Men and husbands believed that women should be home to take care of the home and family and not get mixed up in political matters. From the article, “Argument Against Women’s Suffrage” the author shows the typical American man’s stance on women’s suffrage. J. B. Sanford wrote: “The mother's influence is needed in the home. She can do little good by gadding the streets and neglecting her children. Let her teach her daughters that modesty, patience, and gentleness are the charms of a women. Let her teach her sons that an honest conscience is every man's first political law; that no splendor can rob him nor no force justify the surrender of the simplest right of a free and independent citizen. The mothers of this country can shape the destinies of the nation by keeping in their places and attending to those duties that God Almighty intended for them. The kindly, gentle influence of the mother in the home and the dignified influence of the teacher in the school will far outweigh all the influence of all the mannish female politicians on earth.” Although it is vital that women attend to duties at home, suffragettes felt that participation in government affairs would not affect a woman's ability to be an efficient wife or mother.
Also, at the time, scientists during the fight for women's rights, provided persuading claims about how voting could damage a woman's overall mental and physical health. Scientists claimed, "Too much education could seriously hurt the female reproductive system... the attributes and limitations of both men and women cannot be disturbed without social confusion and peril." During World War I, women acquired more involved roles in the larger economic, cultural, and political transformation of American society and women rights. This led to more responsibility on women at home.
Equality was what urged Lucy Burns to become a suffragette because she felt as though women were not being treated equally. Lucy’s feelings inspired her to become a suffragette and she claimed, “It is unthinkable that a national government which represents women should ignore the issue of the right of all women to political
freedom.” After returning from England, Lucy Burns became a member of the National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA) in early 1913. The NAWSA was the largest group of suffragists in America, whose main focus was winning the ratification to vote at a state level instead of as a country. However, in 1915 Alice Paul and Lucy Burns established the National Woman's Party (NWP) which was designed to advance the cause of the suffrage movement at a state level. The strategies used in the NWP were a mixture of the militant tactics Burns and Paul gained while in England and the NAWSA’s silent protesting. Some examples of these strategies include obstructing traffic and having local speeches and arguments about women’s right to vote. Woodrow Wilson became the 28th president of the United States on March 4, 1913. He entered his presidential position just as women were demanding the right to vote. Wilson was not invested in the idea of supporting women’s right to vote. Many historians say that President Wilson’s support for women’s suffrage, in the beginning, was “lukewarm”. He was known by many people as a moral crusader committed to the values that intended to make the world a better place. Suffragettes continued to pursue the right to vote and made the final push that Woodrow Wilson needed in order to suggest an Amendment to Congress. The involvement Lucy Burns contributed to the NWP was picketing the White House daily, presenting speeches on street corners and in marketplaces, marching in parades, and forming petitions and rallies. Lucy Burns and the NWP were infamous for their silent protesting. This lead to the campaign known as the Silent Sentinels. Some of the banners carried (see Appendix C) in front of the White House read, "Mr. President, what will you do for woman suffrage?" and "Mr. President, how long must women wait for liberty?" Another banner also read, “To the Russian envoys: We the women of America tell you that America is not a democracy. Twenty million American women are denied the right to vote. President Wilson is the chief opponent of their national enfranchisement…Tell our government it must liberate its people before it can claim free Russia as an ally.” These quotes show that the suffragettes used political examples in Woodrow Wilson’s own life to convey their thoughts. Lucy Burns and the Silent Sentinels also protested by using a direct quote from President Woodrow Wilson to illustrate their point of view. The quote said, “Mr. President, the words you spoke in Congress on the night of the 2nd of April, when in the concluding part of your war address you said, ‘We shall fight for the things we have always carried nearest our hearts, for democracy, for the right of those who submit to authority to have a voice in their own government,’ exactly express the reason that we women never cease to work for woman suffrage. That is the thing we carry nearest our hearts, the democracy for which we fight. Don’t you see that those words of yours exactly interpret the spirit of our hearts?” This powerful statement points out, to the president that women should have the right to vote because democracy is inspiring to women too. Burns was the suffragette known for spending the most time in prison. She was thrown into prison numerous times for loitering, obstructing traffic, and picketing the White House. On November 14, 1917 she was arrested for the third time and placed in the Lorton Reformatory, originally called the Occoquan Workhouse. In the workhouse they were refused health care, visitors, and were given rancid food. On the night of November 14, 33 women, along with Lucy Burns, were beaten, choked, kicked, and dragged by the prison workers. This was known as the Night of Terror. Among this abuse Lucy Burns was handcuffed with her hands over her head and left overnight. Even in prison, Burns continued her protesting by participating in hunger strikes. After nineteen days on her hunger strike, she was force fed through a tube down her nose. The force feeding and brutality towards these women was recognized by the government. Woodrow Wilson was at first shocked by the women's strategy, but he was disheartened to learn that some of the protesters had gone on a hunger strike and were being force-fed by the law enforcement. These suffragettes were acknowledged as being wrongly treated, and were moved to a district prison where they were treated with more respect. The suffering inflicted on these women show how the present time was affected for the the better by Lucy Burns. Doris Stevens, a former colleague of Lucy Burns, testified, "It fell to Lucy Burns, vice-chairman of the organization [NWP], to be the leader of the new protest. Miss Burns is in appearance the very symbol of woman in revolt. Her abundant and glorious red hair burns and is not consumed [see Appendix B] - a flaming torch.... Musical, appealing, persuading - she could move the most resistant person. Her talent as an orator is of the kind that makes for instant intimacy with her audience. Her emotional quality is so powerful that her intellectual capacity, which is quite as great, is not always at once perceived." This quote shows the important role that Lucy Burns played as a suffragette and the physical impact she had on politics. Due to the time and effort that women gave to the suffrage movement and to the support of their homes while fathers and sons fought in World War I, Woodrow Wilson delivered a speech to Congress on September 30, 1918 saying, “we have made partners of the women in this war…Shall we admit them only to a partnership of suffering and sacrifice and toil and not to a partnership of privilege and right?” However, Wilson’s inspiring words failed to gain the needed votes to pass the amendment, and the bill was not approved until August of 1920. After World War I Congress agreed to pass the 19th Amendment giving women the right to vote (see Appendix A). Woodrow Wilson did undergo an ethical position change after which he gave his support to women’s suffragists and actively fought on their behalf. When Lucy Burns ended her suffrage position, after the amendment became official, she claimed, “I don’t want to do anything more. I think we have done all this for women, and we have sacrificed everything we possessed for them, and now let them fight for it. I am not going to fight anymore.” Lucy Burns died December 22, 1966 in Brooklyn, New York. Some Historians might disagree that Lucy Burns made any changes in the political balance we see today. But someone had to take a stand in order for changes to be made. A quote that supports this idea reads, “Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.” This quote from Barack Obama gives and supports evidence that Lucy Burns has affected America’s political standpoint today. Imagine mothers, wives and sisters today, taking the poll to vote for president. These people today hardly ever think about their freedom to vote and without people like Lucy Burns, change may never have been made. In conclusion, Lucy Burns was an important historical figure in women's suffrage. She was known for spending the most time in prison, fed rancid food during her prison stay, protested by starving herself for nineteen days, was force fed through her nose, beaten, kicked and choked. Her abuse is proof that she was dedicated to the women's suffrage party. For over ten years she fought with her female colleagues to earn women the right to vote, the right to be treated as an equal. She stood closely with the NAWSA for a great many years, always fighting, persisting, withstanding political pressure, and taking a stand for what was right.
Alice Paul was a Quaker who had strong views about women’s rights. However, she thought that the NAWSA and Carrie Chapman Catt’s plan was too conservative. She broke away from the association to form a more radical group, the National Women’s Party (NWP). The NWP pushed for a Constitutional Amendment at a federal level and focused on President Woodrow Wilson (Alice Paul 1885-1977). To raise support for the cause, Alice Paul conducted public events such as marches. 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. That however didn’t stop the suffragists from protesting day after day. They held banners and
A key figure in both the women’s rights and abolition movements, she brought them from lectures to full organizations. Stone died before women earned the right to vote, nevertheless, she was still a major influence. Nowadays, women have much more rights because of efforts put in by many reformers, including Lucy
Later, in World War II, there was another change in women’s rights. During World War I, women were unable to join the military; they were only able to help out as nurses and support staff; however, during World War II, women were able to join the military but were unable to fight in combat missions. In summary, as you can clearly see women’s rights experienced extreme levels of change during the 20th
American women in World War II brought significant changes which although people expectation that life would go back to normal they modify their lifestyle making women free of society pressure and norms, because the war changed the traditional way to see a woman and their roles leading to a new society where women were allowed to study and work in the same way than men. Creating a legacy with the principles of today’s society.
In the years after 1870 there were many reasons for the development of the women’s suffrage movement. The main reasons were changes in the law. Some affecting directly affecting women, and some not, but they all added to the momentum of Women’s campaign for the vote.
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.
Despite the law she began to travel and lecture across the nation for the women's right to vote. She also campaigned for the abolition of slavery, the right for women to own their own property and retain their earnings, and she advocated for women's labor organizations.
“I do not wish them [women] to have power over men; but over themselves” – Mary Wollstonecraft. In the 19th century the hot topic was women’s rights everybody had an opinion about it. Of course the expected ones like Lucretia Mott and Elizabeth Cady Stanton had much to say but a few unexpected ones like William Lloyd Garrison and Frederick Douglass spoke out for women’s rights. The focus will be the responsibilities and roles that the activists played in the Women’s Rights or Feminist Movement. The relevance to the theme is the activists had a very important role toward reaching the ultimate goal of the Women’s Rights Movement. The Women’s Rights Movement was one of the most essential times in American history; it was the fight for women acquiring the same rights as men. Susan B. Anthony was considered the leader of the Women’s Rights Movement after she was denied the right to speak in a temperance convention; she had the responsibility of creating the National Women’s Suffrage Association (NWSA) and helping to secure voting rights by her historic court case, the Trials of Susan B. Anthony. Elizabeth Cady Stanton was an important women’s rights activist that helped plan the first organized women’s rights convention in Seneca Falls, New York and wrote the Declaration of Sentiments. Lucretia Mott worked along with Elizabeth Cady Stanton to plan the first women’s rights convention and wrote the, “Discourse on Women”. Lucy Stone formed the American Women’s Suffrage Association (AWSA) and convince individual states to join the effort towards women rights. These women had an influence in the National American Women’s Suffrage Association’s (NAWSA) achievement of the goals in the Women’s Rights Movement. These women had a profound effect on reaching equal rights between men and women.
During the course of the History, it does not take long to realize that people who fight for they believe in or attempt to change the opinion of others, have a very difficult life. Women during the 1800s were no an exception to this. However, women like Lucy Stone, Susan Anthony and Elizabeth Stanton were willing to make that sacrifice. The sacrifice made by these women led to many rights that women have today.
Women began standing up for more rights and realizing that they could be treated better. 1840 the World Anti-slavery Convention in London showed a great example of inferiority of women. Women were denied a seat at the convention because they were women. Women like Elizabeth C. Stanton and Lucretia C. Mott were enraged and inspired to launch the women’s rights movement. Elizabeth Stanton promoted women’s right to vote. “If particular care and attention is not paid to the ladies, we are determined to forment a rebellion and will not hold ourselves bound by any laws in which we have no voice or representation.
The 1940s provided a drastic change in women’s employment rates and society’s view of women. With the end of the Depression and the United States’ entrance into World War II, the number of jobs available to women significantly increased. As men were being drafted into military service, the United States needed more workers to fill the jobs left vacant by men going to war. Women entered the workforce during World War II due to the economic need of the country. The use of Patriotic rhetoric in government propaganda initiated and encouraged women to change their role in society.
In the history of women’s rights, and their leaders, few can compare with the determination and success of Lucy Stone. While many remember Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony for being the most active fighters for women’s rights, perhaps Stone is even more important. The major goal for women in this time period was gaining women’s suffrage. That is what many remember or associate with the convention at Seneca Falls.
Although they were fighting for a worthy cause, many did not agree with these women’s radical views. These conservative thinkers caused a great road-block on the way to enfranchisement. Most of them were men, who were set in their thoughts about women’s roles, who couldn’t understand why a woman would deserve to vote, let alone want to vote. But there were also many women who were not concerned with their fundamental right to vote. Because some women were indifferent in regards to suffrage, they set back those who were working towards the greater good of the nation. However, the suffragettes were able to overcome these obstacles by altering their tactics, while still maintaining their objective.
...also were not represented, and made women understand that this inferiority dilemma that was going on every day had to stop, and that they had to revolt and fight for their own rights. Her influence combined with other women fighting and the spirit of rebellion already set in men spiked women's interests in their rights and made them want to struggle for their privileges.
In 1848, the American women's rights movement started, during this movement, even though the leaders of the women’s rights advocated for the Reconstruction amendments , such as Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments, these amendment did not promote women’s suffrage. In 1869, the writers of the nineteenth amendment, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony worked in the National Woman Suffrage Association while Lucy Stone led the American Woman Suffrage Association’s state-by-state battle for the vote. After that, the two groups united to form the National American Women Suffrage Association. This association aimed to secure voting rights for all American women (American memory, 2010). During World War I, women contributed significantly to the nation's war effort. As a result, many politicians began to realize that women could be an important source of votes, and then the United States Congress supported the Nineteenth Amendment to the Constitution. Finally, in 1920, women won the vote throughout the nation (Jone Johnson Lewis, 2008). In simple English, the Nineteenth Amendment states that Constitution cannot deny or abridge the citizens’ voting rights, regardless of the sex.