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Women Of The United States Essay

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Women make up about 51% of the population of the United States, yet for most of American history, their representation in politics has been almost nonexistent. It was not even until 1920 that women were given the right to vote by the 19th amendment. Before that, their involvement was shunned and prohibited. After women gained the right to vote, however, their election to office was not immediate. After gaining the right to vote, women have gone through a struggle to become involved in politics that gained momentum first in the 1960s and 1970s and especially in recent years. Also, the eventual admission of women into high level politics has had a substantial impact on the way government is run. The year 1920 represents a pivotal year in American politics. Women finally gained the right to vote; suffrage had been won. While this was an exciting victory for women everywhere, their political involvement was relegated to supporting roles. The right to vote did not necessarily usher women into political office immediately. They remained behind the scenes, doing the work that kept the political heart of America beating steadily. They were the “lickers and stickers” as mentioned by the documentary. They did the work of advertising and campaigning for candidates. The League of Women voters main work was in registering women to vote and promoting these campaigns, however, women were not running in these campaigns quite yet. Soon, their common route into politics was “the widow’s route

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