Women 's Involvement During Politics Essay

In the late 1800’s through the early 1900’s, women were not given the rights they have today and were being mistreated, but because of a few brave women who gave up their lives to fight for what they knew was right, this all changed. Many of these women were educated and brave, but were still denied their rights. Women have suffered through this long battle to get what they knew they deserved and took time out of their lives to fight for what they believed in, which was to have a voice. Women wanted to get the same respect that men were given. The women’s suffrage movement was not only in the United States, but it was all over the world. It took the women’s suffrage movement many years to work and come through, but women were finally able to vote and have the same rights as men. Through their work in the suffrage movement, Lucretia Mott, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Susan B. Anthony and many more changed the role of women in society.

Revised Thesis: The women’s suffrage movement opened many doors for the women of America and allowed them to achieve many objects they had never before thought of including: economic roles, political positions, and a place in social society.

“Beginning in the 1800s, women organized petitioned and pocketed to won three right to vote but it took them decades to accomplish their purpose”(archive.com). The organized movement started at Seneca Falls, NY with a meeting called by Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott. The most influential leaders during the movements were Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton. The Suffragists and Suffragettes were trying to prove to the public that women could be doing other things apart from looking after the children and taking care of the homes. The Seneca Falls convention was organized by a group of women who had been active in the antislavery movement. The Seneca Falls Declaration called for an increase in women’s rights in these areas, as well as in education for women and the jobs available to

Women’s rights is apparent in the fight for suffrage in the late 1800’s-early 1900’s . It can

The legal status of married women prevented them from unilaterally participating in the civil legal system. Shanley explains that "From the legal 'unity' of the husband and wife it followed that a married woman could not sue or be sued unless her husband was also a party to the suit, could not sign contracts unless her husband joined her" (8). The law of coverture also governed women's premarital legal contracts. Laurence notes, "English common law did not recognize pre-nuptial contracts; all contracts made by a woman were annulled by her marriage" (233). Furthermore, married women lost the right to execute their own wills since legally all their property belonged to their husbands. With their husbands' consent, women executed wills to dispose of their personal property.

Women's Suffrage was one of the many well knows Progressive reform movements. Women became involved in political issues like the Temperance Movement through the WCTU (women’s Christian Temperance Union). Document H, shows that many women were feeling angry and were being cheated out of their right to vote and to be involved in the government. The message of the poster is that the U.S., especially President Wilson, needs to stop worrying about other countries and start worrying about the 20,000,000 women that don’t have the right to vote. Herbert Croly also thought that the President needed to do more at home. He accuses the president of deluding, “ himself into believing the extravagant claims which he makes on behalf of the Democratic Legislative achievement.”(Document F)

Before the suffrage movement could gain prominence, the women’s rights movement had to formulate the idea that they should be able to vote. In 1848

Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucy Stone created one of the first organizations in New York, 1848. (Lewis B.R. Women at War: the women of World War 2; at home, at work, on the Front Line) The goal of this movement was to bring attention to the public about restrictions against women and to address the issues regarding equality between men and women. However, the main goal was to earn themselves the right to vote. These women promoted their ideas and concerns by speaking in girl schools and in public as well as participating in the hostings of parades around the White House. All of the women’s information was beginning to influence others, therefore, they received support from people outside of the movement. Finally, after all of the fighting women did to gain liberation, the government passed the Nineteenth Amendment in 1920 which granted women a right to vote. (https://www.nwhm.org/online-exhibits/progressiveera/home.html) Thus, after all the protesting, marches, parades and organizations, women’s voices were finally heard and they now felt more equal to men because their long term goal was achieved.

a. Even when polls show different voting opinions, the member of Congress usually votes according to their party leadership.

seeking suffrage at this point and they wanted to have a say in government, including the right to

Women and men are nestled into predetermined cultural molds when it comes to gender in American society. Women play the roles of mothers, housekeepers, and servants to their husbands and children, and men act as providers, protectors, and heads of the household. These gender roles stem from the many culture myths that exist pertaining to America, including those of the model family, education, liberty, and of gender. The majority of these myths are misconceptions, but linger because we, as Americans, do not analyze or question them. The misconception of gender suggests that biological truths no longer dictate our gender roles as men and women; they derive from cultural myths. We, as a nation, need

courage they were. The women were willing to do anything for them to be heard and make a

Rebecca Ann Latimer Felton was born June 10, 1835 in Decatur, Georgia. “Outspoken, determined, and irascible, Felton was involved in public life from the 1870s through the 1920s. She first entered politics during her husband’s successful campaign for the House of Representatives and went on to work as a lecturer and newspaper writer, before becoming the first woman to serve in the United States Senate” (history.house.org). In 1852 she went to college where she met a commencement speaker William H. Felton; he was state legislative, physician, Methodist minister and a planter. Rebecca and William got married a year later moving to Cartersville. Rebecca had 5 children, but only one child survived his childhood. Rebecca started to know the public due to her husband’s political career. She would publish his speeches and wrote newspaper articles. Rebecca Felton managed her husband’s successful 1874 campaign for Congress when he ran as an Independent Democrat representing up–country Georgia. William served in the U.S. House from 1875 to 1881 and, later, the state house of representatives from 1884 to 1890. Rebecca continued

Up until the 1920s, women’s struggle for their right to vote seemed to be a futile one. They had been fighting for their suffrage for a long time, starting numerous women's rights movements and abolitionist activists groups to achieve their goal. “The campaign for women’s suffrage began in earnest in the decades before the Civil War. During the 1820s and 30s, most states had enfranchised almost all white males (“The Fight for Women's Suffrage” ). This sparked women to play a more emphatic role in society. They began to participate in anti-slavery organizations, religious movements, and even meetings where they discussed that when the Constitution states "that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain

The political arena is a tough place to be part of, especially during a campaign. Your opponent and their supporters are constantly watching your every move with the hopes that you will make a mistake, or that somebody will find some detrimental dirt on you. Now imagine also being a woman, not only will you have to face the hardships that male candidates cope with but you will also have to handle the adversity based on your gender and the stereotypes that go along with being a female. Women have to be prepared to confront the fact that they may not even be wanted in that setting. For example Margaret Carlson stated,