The Women's Suffrage Movement

Decades ago, women were considered unable to do anything except for cook and clean. In the late 1800s, women began to fight for their rights as individuals. They decided that they did not want to just be submissive wives. They wanted to have political positions and government roles. People such as Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, events such as the Cult of True Womanhood and the meeting at Seneca Falls, and the impacts such as gender equality and female government roles summarize the women's suffrage movement.
There were many historical events that caused and progressed the women’s suffrage movement. The first of these was the African- American Men’s Rights amendment. This was the fifteenth amendment that gave rights to African-
American men. It was passed in 1869. When this amendment was ratified, many women became angry, especially movements such as the National American Women’s Suffrage Movement (Scholastic). This ratification of men’s rights gave many suffragists motivation to continue their campaign.
One main organization that supported women’s suffrage was the National Women’s Suffrage Association. This group was formed by Elizabeth Stanton and Susan Anthony (Office). There were no male members in this group, mostly white women. The National Women’s Suffrage Association had a radical and militant view on the movement (Bausum 22). They took a statewide approach on gaining followers. When the fifteenth amendment was passed, the National Women's Suffrage Association refused to support it because the rights were not given to women. Instead, they allied with racist southerners who thought that white women could create a balance in the voting system (History). This organization was one of two main groups that started the women’s suffrage movement.
The other main suffrage group was the American Women's Suffrage Association. This organization was formed by Lucy Stone and took a statewide approach towards suffrage. They focused on getting women to vote in state elections (Kops 34). Unlike the National Women's Suffrage Association, the American Women's Suffrage Association supported the fifteenth amendment (Scholastic). This organization, along with National Women's Suffrage Association, make significant changes in the fight for women's suffrage.
Later on in the movement, American Women's Suffrage Association and National Women's Suffrage Association combined to form National American Women's Suffrage Association. They continued to fight for women's rights. This group was led mainly by Elizabeth Stanton and then Susan Anthony. In 1861, the Civil War paused campaigning, but the women supported war efforts (Bausum 21). After the Civil War, around the late 1800s, many new women activists joined the campaign, and the movement gained momentum. National American Women's Suffrage Association agreed that there should be new laws to support women's suffrage and gain votes in their favor (Kops 29). Stanton and Anthony focused on winning women's suffrage on a state level. One of their main goals was granting married women property rights. National American Women's Suffrage Association was the group that changed the women's suffrage movement for the better.
Susan B. Anthony was a key figure in the women's suffrage movement. She worked with movements such as National American Women's Suffrage Association for over fifty years (Bausum 27). In 1850, Anthony met Elizabeth Stanton, another key figure that she worked with, two years after the meeting at Seneca Falls (Kops 26). They quickly became great friends and a hardworking team. Anthony was a leader and role model for many women's suffrage organizations. She was the president of the National Women's Suffrage Association for twenty one years. One of the main things she contributed to the movement was presenting Congress multiple petitions in favor of women's suffrage in 1878. Unfortunately, the vote failed, sixteen to seventy six (Bausum 27). After all of the great work she had done, Anthony retired in 1900. Her final speech, one of her most famous ones, said this: “...with such women consecrating their lives… failure is impossible” (Kops 94). Susan B. Anthony made important changes that carried the women's suffrage movement forward.
Elizabeth Cady Stanton was another key figure in the women's suffrage movement.
She was one of the main organizers of the meeting at Seneca Falls, the meeting that kick started the movement (Office). In 1866, Stanton was the first woman to seek election in the United States House of Representatives. She worked with many women's suffrage organizations such as National Women's Suffrage Association. Stanton was the president of National Women's Suffrage Association for twenty one years (Scholastic). When National Women's Suffrage Association and American Women's Suffrage Association formed to make National American Women's Suffrage Association, she became the president for twelve years. She made a big impact in the fight for women's voting.
One of the major events that sparked the women's suffrage movement was the Cult of True Womanhood. This was the idea that women were not important. This said that women should be submissive to their husbands. It stated that women should only be concerned with their home and children (Office). This Cult of True Womanhood led to many protests and began the movement for women's
rights.
A few years later, the meeting at Seneca Falls occurred. This was the first meeting of its kind. At this meeting, they decided that all genders should be equal. Everyone was a person and each should have individual rights (History). This caused the suffragists, or suffragettes as they are known now, to ally together and fight for their rights. This was the official start of the women's suffrage movement (Scholastic). Because of all these suffragettes hard work, almost one hundred year later, women gained the right to vote in 1920.
The Cult of True Womanhood was the unofficial start of the women's suffrage movement.
This document said that a woman should be submissive and follow a man’s every word (History). It said that women should be concerned only with home and family. It summarized the popular opinion at that time that women were unequal to men (Kops 41). This caused many women to become very angry.
Many women disagreed with that document. This led to many protests. People gradually began to disagree with the unequal roles in the community (Office). During this time period, most important positions were filled by men. Most women were not allowed to work in the government. They were not allowed to work in city council. Many women's jobs were staying at home. They did chores and took care of the children (Kops 48). There were many unequal roles in the country, making men seem more important than women. Angry women began to rally and protest because of this cult.
Because of this Cult of True Womanhood, many protests flared up across the country. Before this, many people were not aware that gender inequality was even a problem. These protests sparked the interest of many uninformed people. They began to take interest in women's suffrage (Scholastic). Many people were against this idea. They did not think that women should have a role in the
community.
The meeting at Seneca Falls was the first official spark of the movement for women's rights. This meeting took place on July 19 and 20, 1848 in New York (Office). Seneca Falls was the first major meeting of its kind. It changed the views of many people. At this meeting, the attendees decided that women should be allowed to vote (Bausum 58). These people also decided that all genders should have their own political identities. The main idea discussed was the problem of women's rights. Seneca Falls was a very important meeting.
The meeting at Seneca Falls was mainly organized by Elizabeth Cady Stanton. Two thirds of the attendees were white females. There were some black women and white males that attended. These activists drafted a Declaration of Rights and Sentiments at this meeting (Bausum 18). Many people came to this meeting and became aware of the issue of women's suffrage.
After the meeting at Seneca Falls people began to realize that a movement was beginning. The attendees of the Seneca Falls meeting began to spread the knowledge of women's suffrage to other people who did not know what that idea was (Office). Because people began to be informed, the popularity of the women's suffrage movement increased. Many people began to support or disagree with this idea.
On August 18, 1920, women gained the right to vote. That year women were allowed to vote alongside men for the first time. All women were expected to vote after the amendment was passed by Congress (Office). Not all women voted, so many people said that because all women did not vote, the amendment was not that important to them (Kops 71). Higher expectations were set for women. They were expected to do more than just cook, clean, and take care of the family (Scholastic). Expectations were greater for women after the nineteenth amendment.
Many people began to change their views on women's suffrage after the amendment passed. The idea of women's voting was not merely an idea any more and the amendment gained much support. People were informed about the issue of women's suffrage and were prepared to fix it (Scholastic). Support of all women grew. They were not submissive housewives anymore. They were considered equal to men.
One long term impact of the women’s suffrage movement is equality for both genders. “After the nineteenth amendment was passed, women were gradually allowed to do the same things as men” (Scholastic). One of the main ideas of the original organizations such as National Women's Suffrage Association and American Women's Suffrage Association, was granting married women property rights. This idea was fulfilled. Both genders were allowed to vote, which caused many things to become equal for both men and women. Girls can now vote without worrying about whether they will get arrested for ‘doing something only males can do’ (Kops 34). Gender equality was becoming real after the nineteenth amendment was passed.
Starting in 1920, women began to have roles in Congress and other forms of government. The nineteenth amendment broadened women’s role in government (Bausum 48). “The suffrage movement provided political experience for the future females of Congress” (Office). As the years progressed women got higher roles in politics. In our world today, there are even female presidential candidates, such as Hillary Clinton. Because of the nineteenth amendment, women have an opportunity to be involved in politics and the government.
Women did not have many of the same rights as men that we have today. Women in the 1800s and before were considered unable to do the same things as men. Because of key figures like Susan B. Anthony and events like the meeting at Seneca Falls, women have all of the opportunities they can think of today. The women's suffrage movement, which took almost one hundred years was a worthwhile fight.