Study Notes on Women's Suffrage Movement and American Imperialism

Women in the Domestic Sphere

  • Historically, women's roles were largely confined to the domestic sphere.

42c. Women's Suffrage at Last

  • Youngest parader in New York City suffragist parade documented by the American Press Association.

  • Significant suffrage parade held in New York City on May 4, 1912, preserved by the Library of Congress.

The Rise of the Suffrage Movement

  • The demand for women's suffrage was first articulated in 1848 at the Seneca Falls Convention.

  • The movement was overshadowed by the Civil War that followed soon after.

Effects of the Civil War and Reconstruction

  • The issue of voting rights resurfaced during Reconstruction, particularly with the passage of the Fifteenth Amendment.

  • The Fifteenth Amendment proposed voting rights for African American males, prompting outrage among female suffragists who believed women should not be disenfranchised.

A Movement Divided

  • Prominent figures in the movement had differing views on the priority of suffrage for black men versus women:

    • Frederick Douglass, Lucy Stone, and Henry Blackwell argued that black males deserved the vote first.

    • Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Sojourner Truth insisted on immediate federal support for women's suffrage.

  • Resulted in the split of the suffrage movement into two factions in 1869:

    • American Woman Suffrage Association (AWSA) - led by Stone and Blackwell, focused on state-level reforms.

    • National Woman Suffrage Association (NWSA) - led by Anthony and Stanton, aimed for a constitutional amendment.

Tactics of Suffragists

  • The NWSA implemented high-profile tactics to attract media attention:

    • Supported Victoria Woodhull as a presidential candidate in 1872.

    • Engaged in acts of civil disobedience, such as attempting to vote and creating mock ballot boxes.

  • AWSA adopted a more pragmatic approach, lobbying state governments.

Legislative Progress

  • The movement saw advancements in western states, with Wyoming granting full suffrage in 1869, followed by Utah.

  • However, progress stalled until the 1890s when more states began to adopt suffrage measures.

Formation of NAWSA

  • After the passing of key AWSA figures, Alice Stone Blackwell unified the suffrage movement by merging the two organizations into NAWSA in 1890.

  • Leadership alternated between Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony, maintaining a presence in the movement despite internal divisions.

Late 19th and Early 20th Century Activism

  • Carrie Chapman Catt led the fight post-1900; most states west of the Mississippi recognized women's suffrage by 1910.

  • The Northeast and South remained resistant, prompting strategic state-by-state efforts to gain suffrage rights.

World War I and the Push for Suffrage

  • The United States' entry into WWI in 1917 created a shift in public support for women's suffrage, enabled by women's contributions to the war effort.

  • New York and Arkansas allowed women to vote in 1917, creating further momentum.

Ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment

  • August 18, 1920: Tennessee ratified the Nineteenth Amendment, which became law after approval from three-fourths of the states, marking a significant victory in the long women’s suffrage movement.