_Women_s_Equality

Women's Suffrage and Social Justice

• Suffrage Definition: Right to vote in political elections.

• Historical Context: Long struggle for women’s suffrage; key event: Seneca Falls Convention (1848) advocated various reforms, including suffrage.

• Post-Civil War Revival: Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony renewed calls for suffrage, forming the National Woman Suffrage Association in 1869.

• Early Gains: By late 1800s, women voted in four states (Wyoming, Utah, Colorado, Idaho) due to their contributions. Annie Bidwell was pivotal in California.

• Emergence of New Leaders: Carrie Chapman Catt promoted state-by-state suffrage and became president of the National Woman Suffrage Association after Anthony.

• Radical Actions: Alice Paul employed aggressive tactics and protested to gain support from politicians, including President Wilson.

• Nineteenth Amendment: Ratified in 1920, it guaranteed women's voting rights, expanding the voter population significantly.

• Advancements: Focus on jobs and education increased, leading to women's organizations that advocated for suffrage and reform legislation.

• Temperance Movement: Originated in the 1800s to end alcohol sales; linked to women's suffrage due to alcohol's detrimental effects on families. Passed Eighteenth Amendment during WWI.