Marta Cook's Progressive Tradition Series: Social Movements And Progressivism

In part three John Halpin and Marta Cook’s 2010, “Progressive Tradition Series: Social Movements and Progressivism,” they state that change can begin with the people and does not have to wait for the government. The Social movements started by the people can be for both individual rights and equality. Once one social movement is successful, its success often brings about another social movement.
Before the Suffrage and Women’s Rights movement of the late 19th century, the Abolitionist movement was the platform for social reform. From 1765 to 1783, the American Colonies fought a war against Britain; rejecting the British monarchy and overthrowing British authority over the thirteen colonies. During the American Revolution white and black men fought together for freedom. However, freedom was not to be had for all men. In the now free America, slavery was still gaining momentum. In his 1852, speech Fredrick Douglas, a runaway slave, asked his audience, “what, to the American slave, is your 4th
of July? I answer: a day that reveals to him, more than all other days in the year, the gross injustice and cruelty to which he is the constant victim” (6). While the American Revolution brought freedom, it did not bring freedom to everyone. While was acceptable for African Americans to fight and die for freedom they had yet to be freed themselves. It was during this time the Abolitionist movement gained momentum as Abolitionist began to fight for the end of slavery. From 1861 to 1865, America fought a Civil War ending slavery and giving freedom to everyone.
The success of the Abolitionist Movement brought about the beginning of the Suffrage and Women’s Rights movements of the late 19th to early 20th century.
Women emerged as strong advocates during abolitionism as many began to question their own status in America during the fight to eliminate slavery (6). They wanted freedom from the domestic sphere they were confined too. However, instead of waiting for their government to change the laws, they began a social movement with the skills they learned during abolitionism such as “organizing, political and rhetorical skills” (7). Finally, in 1919, the 19th amendment was passed by Congress giving women the right to vote. After gaining the right to vote the movement continued with women fighting to “be allowed to achieve their own personal dreams and to be valued for themselves, not just for how well they serve their husbands and children” (9). Women wanted to not only be treated as equals, but they also wanted the same rights as
men.
Halpin and Cook focus on a few of the most successful social movements in history, illustrating the same issues of challenging the status quo remains today. They state “the challenges we face today may be more complicated and global in perspective than those faced by our predecessors, but the foundational questions for our actions remain” (20). When there is a question of inequality, whether social or economical, today’s society step forward and raise awareness of the issue. One of the most followed social movements of today is the Black Lives Matter movement. The #BlackLivesMatter movement was created in 2012, after Trayvon Martin’s murderer, George Zimmerman, was acquitted for killing the seventeen years old black teen. A question that rises over the success of this movement is what would have happened if the Abolitionist movement had not had such success? Would American’s still be fighting for the belief that “all men and women are created equal” as it states in The Declaration of Independence (7)? The answer is yes, as the struggle for freedom and equality for all has grown from a local to a global movement. The youth of today and future generations will continue to fight for the rights and equality of all men and women.