Women’s Suffrage Movement

Women’s Suffrage Movement was the struggle to gain same voting rights as men. Voting was limited to white adult males who owned property. Many people thought that property owners had the strongest interest in good government; therefore, they were the best qualified to make decisions.

A Tea Launches a Revolution

•Tea among five women friends, on July 13, 1848, marked The Women’s Suffrage Movement as its beginning.

•Among these five women was young housewife and mother, Elizabeth Cady Stanton.

Elizabeth Cady Stanton

•During a conversation that day, Stanton poured her discontent with Americas democracy. She believed the new republic would benefit by having women play a role throughout society.

•They were the first small group of women to plan and carry out a program.

•This led to…

"A convention to discuss the social, civil, religious condition

and rights of woman."

First women's rights convention in the United States is held July 19th 1848, in New York. Participants signed a “Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions” which outlined the main issues and goals for the emerging women’s movement. Meetings were held regularly after.

Backlash!•The Women’s Rights Movement was only one day old and the backlash had already begun. •Newspaper editors were so scandalized by the Declaration of Sentiments and the ninth resolution ‘Women demanding vote!’ •They attacked women with all they could muster, although, misconception, misrepresentation and ridicule were expected.

“Ain’t I a Woman?”

1851-Former slave Sojourner Truth delivers her “Ain’t I a Woman” speech at a women’s rights

convention in Ohio.

Susan B. Anthony

February 15, 1820 – March 13, 1906

•Prominent American Civil Rights leader, played a huge role to introduce Women’s Suffrage into the United States.

•Along with Sojourner and other leaders, she traveled the U.S and Europe and gave from 75-100 speeches every year on Women’s rights for 45 years.

•In 1872, Susan B. Anthony was arrested and brought to trial for attempting to vote for U.S Grant in the presidential election.

•At the same time Truth appeared at a polling booth, in Michigan, demanding a ballot which she was turned away.

‘Anti’ Woman Suffrage

•At first, the idea that women should have a right to vote was seen as so ridiculous that no one even attempted to oppose it.

•Soon they would have to take the suffragettes more seriously as they began to gain support.

•

1.   Women would be corrupted by politics.

2.   If women became involved in politics, they would stop marrying, having children, and the human race would die out.

3.   Women were emotional creatures, and incapable of making a sound political decision.

Progress

•1912-Theodore Roosevelt ‘s Progressive party became the first national political party to adopt the first woman suffrage plank.

•1916-Jeanette Rankin becomes the first American Woman elected to represent her state in the U.S. House of Representatives.

August 26th, 1920, 19th Amendment is ratified, it’s victory is accomplished!!

Guarantees all American Women the right to vote.

19th Amendment

The End!^_^

•http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/naw/nawstime.html

•http://www.legacy98.org/move-hist.html

•http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Susan_B._Anthony

•http://www.infoplease.com/spot/womenstimeline1.html

•http://www.history.com/topics/the-fight-for-womens-suffrage

•http://womenshistory.about.com/od/suffrage/a/suffrage.htm