Women and The Vote

The Story of Women’s Suffrage in the Progressive Era

Women and the Vote

First Western nation to adopt suffrage New Zealand, 1893

First US state to allow women to vote NJ briefly (1776-1807) but really Wyoming 1869

Latest Western nation to adopt suffrage Liechtenstein, 1984

The Vote in the States

Suffrage movement successful in western states Wyoming in 1869 All but three western states by 1920

Reasons varied Women had more influence in frontier Anti-suffragists less organized Well-run grassroots campaigns

Majority of states has have women participating in at least some elections by 1920

Early Suffrage Movement

Seneca Falls, 1848 Elizabeth Cady Stanton Susan B. Anthony

Early work combined suffrage with abolition, temperance and other reforms

Suffragists outraged that 14th and 15th Amendments ignored women

Early Suffrage Movement

1890: National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA) Anna Howard Shaw; Carrie

Chapman Catt Focus on changing state

constitutions Amendment to US Constitution

deemed impossible

Critical Thinking

Why would people be opposed to women having the right to vote?

The Anti-Suffragists

Feared what women would do with vote “Hysterical” nature Changing relations at home

Feared suffrage would lead to full voting rights for blacks Democrats needed South

Since many women active in Temperance movement, feared alcohol would be banned

Alice Paul

Born and raised in NJ

Spent time in UK and witnessed radical suffragists

Began to agitate for change to US Constitution

National Women’s Party (NWP)

March in Washington, 1913

Organized by Paul to coincide with Wilson’s Inauguration

Women marched up Pennsylvania Avenue

Onlookers got violent, shouting names and then attacking suffragists

Wonderful publicity for movement

Critical Thinking

Alice Paul split with NAWSA over goals and tactics. Which approach do you think would be more effective?

National Campaign

Wilson at first opposed to suffrage

Women (mostly western voters) influential in his re-election campaign in 1916

Women expect Wilson to embrace suffrage movement

National Campaign

Wilson still refuses to endorse suffrage

US enters “Great War” in 1917

Alice Paul turns to more radical tactics Pickets “Silent Sentinels” Civil disobedience

National Campaign

Paul and other suffragettes arrested

Mistreated in prison Paul goes on hunger strike Scandal

Wilson endorses suffrage as necessity of wartime 19th Amendment passed in 1920

Critical Thinking

Why do you think the suffrage movement was ultimately successful?

Lessons

Suffrage campaigns well organized and executed

Experience in western states made suffrage less of impossibility

Effective use of civil disobedience and media attention