Determination Of Power

Just one hundred years ago, women in the United States were not allowed to vote. The 19th amendment was not ratified until June 4, 1919. The 19th amendment granted women the right to vote. Women activists had been fighting decades to have such a right. There were many factors that made the 19th amendment possible such as women’s rights organizations, advocates, conventions, and marches. The women’s right movement paved the way to accomplishing the ratification of a female’s right to vote.

Women also had the right to vote, but some women didn’t use that right because they had believed it was for men. Though other women saw this as a chance to get involved with politics. Women

Before the United States Constitution was implemented in 1788, there was a certain principle in society where only men of a Caucasian race had the right to vote in elections. Many people including women and those of different races and colors protested, marched, and fought get the right to vote. Since the country's leaders at the time were dissatisfied with the structure of the society and government they decided to make the US Constitution. With the making of the Constitution it created amendments to better the rights of people and create a better society. Since women and people of different colors and races wanted the right to vote, the constitution created the 15th and 19th amendment. According to the legal form institute website last updated on November 2nd of 2009, it stated that the 15th amendment was "the right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude. According to the history.com website last updated in 2010, it stated that the 19th amendment "granted American women the right to vote—a right known as woman suffrage (S)". Ever since the constitution was made it made a huge effect on today's society and government which gives every single person the right to vote.

Although the Declaration of Independence stated that “All men are created equal,” the U.S Constitution denied minorities basic human rights, such as life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. With this, the line had been drawn. Skin color had now become the definite indicator of how race would be defined in future American society.

The entire Women’s Movement in the United States has been quite extensive. It can be traced back to 1848, when the first women’s rights convention was held in Seneca Falls, New York. After two days of discussions, 100 men and women signed the Declaration of Sentiments. Drafted by Elizabeth Cady Stanton, this document called for equal treatment of women and men under the law and voting rights for women. This gathering set the agenda for the rest of the Women’s Movement long ago (Imbornoni). Over the next 100 years, many women played a part in supporting equal treatment for women, most notably leading to the ratification of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, which allowed women the right to vote.

In Susan B. Anthony’s speech, she reasons that the constitution grants these rights to not just male or white male citizens, but to “the whole people”(Source E) making the purpose of voting to serve as a means to “secure the blessing of liberty”(Source E) for oneself, and Anthony believed everyone should have an opportunity to participate. The pathos emotion in her diction moves the listener to feel what she was feeling, insisting that “women are citizens”(Source E) just like men. Hence, many women and people of color in the U.S. find themselves having to stand up to the authorities or the government to explain that they deserve to exercise the same liberties given to everyone else, sometimes in vain. In her speech, Anthony has to do just that, convince her listeners throughout her speech that she in fact committed no crime at all, but simply “exercised her citizens rights”(Source E). In order to do this, he even went as far as saying that laws that limited women and other minorities voting capabilities was a “violation of the supreme law”(Source E). Moreover, the modern day voting system reflects, under closer inspection, that the power does not truly lie with the people, but only with the representatives elected by the people-- which impedes on the civil liberties of the entire country. Such corrupt systems of government imposing laws limiting the freedom of particular groups further prove that civil liberty

Equal rights have long been sought out by the people of America and they continue to be chased after today. Several of our freedoms were originally seen by the Constitutional to be inalienable, so ingrained in what the founding fathers saw as American values that the Bill of Rights has set them in stone. Unfortunately for some, universal suffrage was not one of those rights. While voting was largely limited at the founding of America, citizens, namely white males, slowly gained the right to vote without discrimination towards age or social status. However, women remained barred from the ballot, regardless of race. Though the suffrage movement started as a woman’s social movement, it evolved into a driving force that would hold the power to put in place a nineteenth constitutional amendment.

The 15th Amendment to the Constitution granted African American men the right to vote by declaring that the "right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude."(The library of congress).The 15th amendment touched upon topics such as race and color but it had not touched on gender equality. It denied women certain rights, such as the right to vote. The constitution did not secure women’s rights to vote! How truly unfair this was! The constitution clarified that males had more power over women. Men were allowed to vote, and had many advantages over women. This made many women outraged. The accentuation on voting during the 1860s drove ladies' rights activists to concentrate on lady suffrage. The two sides built up two opponent national associations that intended to win ladies the vote.

Lastly, Document N shows an excerpt of Amendment 19 of The United States Constitution saying that “The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.” This excerpt of the amendment describes how it gave the women the right to vote and also describes the unequal political rights of each

The 19th Amendment it gave women’s right to vote. The 19th Amendment says that “The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex” it gives the right to the every citizen in the United States to vote. (Document C). Women's were represented as new role model. Rosie the Riveter represented women’s to be powerful and strong.

The Constitution States, “The rights of all citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex”(United States Constitution). The 19th amendment was ratified on August 18, 1920 after many years of women protesting and demanding equality from the government . From the views of many people who believe that the American Revolution was radical all men were treated equally. Conversely, this aspect was taken very literally in the that women were excluded from voting and making

The Women’s Suffrage Movement of the 1920’s worked to grant women the right to vote nationally, thereby allowing women more political equality. Due to many industrial and social changes during the early 19th century, many women were involved in social advocacy efforts, which eventually led them to advocate for their own right to vote and take part in government agencies. Women have been an integral part of society, working to help those in need, which then fueled a desire to advocate for their own social and political equality. While many women worked tirelessly for the vote, many obstacles, factions, and ultimately time would pass in order for women to see the vote on the national level. The 19th Amendment, providing women the right to vote, enable women further their pursuit for full inclusion in the working of American society.

Two hundred twenty-five years ago, on September 19th, 1789, the Constitution of the United States of America took on the responsibility of becoming the supreme law of the newly founded United States. As one of the most unique documents ever penned by man, it established a government “Of the people, by the people and for the people,” with “equal justice for all.” 1 The document makes no hesitation to establish power, as the first three words state “We The People,”2 thus placing the supreme power of government not in the hands of those elected, but in the peoples’ hands.

Women began to speak out against the laws that were deliberately set against them. Throughout this time period, women were denied the right to vote in all federal and most state held elections. Women

Susan B. Anthony’s speech on women’s rights to vote explains the fact that women deserve the right to vote in America just as much as men do. Upon giving this speech, Anthony was recently arrested for voting in the most recent presidential election. By giving this speech, she intended to prove the innocence of herself and all women trying to vote. Anthony first makes the point that women are equal citizens to men. Then she makes several grievances to the Constitution, arguing that the document protects the rights of all citizens of the United States of America, even quoting it. Finally, she points out that one of these protected rights is that to vote, stressing her point that as an American citizen, she is entitled to her right to vote. These