Women were unequal to men along through out history. When African Americans gained their right to vote in 1870, women did not. Women did not earn their rights that men had. In the late 1800s women took action. The women suffrage movement was led by Carrie Nation, Susan B. Anthony, Alice Paul, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and many other women. The movement was to change public opinion on women and to tell the public that women are equal to men. The movement caused Congress to pass the Nineteenth Amendment on August 26, 1920, granting women the right to vote. Women could finally vote but before the 19th Amendment women had many injustices.
Women faced injustices such as political, social and economic rights. Political rights give us the right to have a say in the government. Women were not allowed to vote in local, state or presidential elections. Social rights are the rights that give us the ability to go into the public and use goods and service without being discriminated. Women were not allowed to continue their education in school after they were married. Also when a couple is divorced, al lands and children went to the husband. Economic rights are rights that gives us the freedom to have a job and own property. Most married women could not work; they were to stay at home, do household chores and care for the children. Women who worked were poor women, but they earned less money than men for the same amount of hours.
To fight for women’s rights, women and men suffragists protested. Alice Paul organized a huge parade in Washington, D.C., to prove that
America was not a democracy if over fifty percent of the people could not vote. Women marched on peacefully, but many men tried to insult and attack them. Authorities watched but did not insist the women. In 1848, a group of 300 suffragists met in
Seneca Falls, New York. They created a document titled as the Declaration of Sentiments. This document was based on the Declaration of Independence. It specifically stat that “all men and women are created equal” and should be treated equally in
America.
After many efforts, the first act women the right to vote was on! In 1890, Wyoming becomes state to the
United States. Wyoming passed a law that grants women the right to vote in local and state elections in
Wyoming.
Wyoming became the first women’s suffrage state. In 1893,
Colorado also became a women’s suffrage state. In 1896 both Utah and
Idaho became the third and fourth women’s suffrage state. Many more states followed and finally in 1920, all women in
America can vote!
The women’s civil rights movement was a very important part of history that shaped the modern
USA. Without it, women may still have been treated as second class citizen or worse. Many problems and obstacles were placed in front of the suffragists who wanted to help grant women’s right to vote. I am glad women and men citizens of all race now has a say in the government of the
United States.
school