1. What were the reasons for and against women’s suffrage?
Essential Question:
What were the reasons for and against women’s suffrage?

2. A Representative Democracy?
The basic principle of a representative democracy is “one person, one vote”
The U.S. Constitution began operating in 1789, but not every adult was represented

3. Those excluded in 1789 Poor men who did not own land
(14th Amendment )
Slaves (15th Amendment – 1870)
Women (19th Amendment – 1920)
Native Americans (1924)
People under 21 years old (26th Amendment )

4. Women’s Suffrage
Definition - The right of women to vote.

5. Leaders of Women’s Suffrage
1848 Seneca Falls Convention in New York, women began demanding the right to vote.
Some of the main
leaders were:
Elizabeth Cady Stanton
( )
Susan B. Anthony ( )
Alice Paul ( )

6. Support from Other Nations
Women achieved the right to vote in
New Zealand (1893)
Australia (1902)

7. In Oregon, women gained the right to vote in
1912.
On the whole, western states and territories were more favorable to women's suffrage than eastern ones.

8. Anti-Women’s Suffrage
A common argument among those opposed to suffrage was that men and women are fundamentally different and that society suffers when either sex tries to perform the duties of the other.
Anti-suffragists often depicted suffragists as women wanting to be men and questioned the manliness of the men who supported suffrage.

9. Structured Academic Controversy
Students will work in pairs examining primary sources to explain the reasons for and against woman’s suffrage.
Students will use primary sources and arguments to write a letter in support of or against this controversial issue. Letters must be written from perspective of people from the early 1900’s.