1. Women’s Suffrage Movement
Women’s Movement: 1780’s – National History Standards – U.S. History, Era 7 - The Emergence of Modern America ( ); Standard 3A (“The student understands social tensions and their consequences in the post (World War I) war era”.), grades 9 – 12 (“Analyze how the emergence of the “New Woman” challenged Victorian values.”) and Era 7, Standard 1C (“The student understands the limitations of Progressivism and the alternatives offered by various groups.”), grades 9 – 12 (“Specify the issues raised by various women and how mainstream Progressives responded to them. “).

2. Women’s Suffrage Movement
OBJECTIVES: When this presentation is done, you will be able to . . .
Explain why the Seneca Falls Convention of 1848 was important.
Identify three women who were important to the Women’s Suffrage Movement.
Give one (1) fact about each of them.
Summarize the 19th amendment to the U.S. Constitution in your own words.

3. Women’s Suffrage Movement
I. Women’s Rights, 1780’s =
A. United States Constitution written.
B. Only white men may vote.
C. Women had no property rights.
D. Women also could not be educated for certain jobs.

4. Women’s Suffrage Movement
Women’s Rights, 1800’s
People began thinking women should be able to vote, too.
1848 – Women organized a convention in New York.
Called the “Seneca Falls Convention”.
Background: Women protesting President Wilson’s reluctance to sign Women’s Suffrage legislation. He was involved in post – World War I diplomacy issues instead. Photo url:

5. In 1820 the rights of women were limited
Woman in the United States could not vote, serve on juries, attend college, or even enter professions such as medicine or law.
Married woman could not own property or keep their own wages.
Many Americans believed a woman’s place was in the home.

6. Women’s Suffrage Movement
D. It took 80 years before women would get the right to vote!
E. Many generations of women (and some men) worked to make this happen
NEXT! Important people from the suffrage movement:
Background: Louisa Anne Swain – the first woman to vote in an election in America. Cast her vote in Wyoming in (Wyoming was not yet part of the United States, which is how she was able to vote.) She was 70 years old when she cast this vote.

7. Women’s Suffrage Movement
I. Lucretia Mott
She was a quaker spent serval years working in the Anti- Slavery movement.
Quakers allowed women to take public roles that other religions prohibited.
Helped organize and call together the 1848 Seneca Falls Convention.
Was a strong supporter of education.
Lucretia Mott Schools – One opened in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Mott traveled to London to attend Anti- Slavery convention. She was not allowed in their she met Elizabeth Cady Stanton.
While they were sitting outside the convention they began to talk about how important a convention on Woman’s rights would be.
Background image: 3 cent stamp from 1948 celebrating 100 year anniversary of the beginning of the women’s suffrage movement. Photo url: From left: Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Carrie Catt (Lucretia Mott is under her own photo on the slide.)

8. II. Elizabeth Cady Stanton
Women’s Suffrage Movement
II. Elizabeth Cady Stanton
Helped Mott organize the Seneca Falls Convention
She wrote the Declaration of Sentiments
We hold these truth to be self evident that all men and women are created equal
The declaration demanded full equality for women in the United States
Met Susan B. Anthony in 1851.
They worked together for the next fifty years!
Stanton wrote and gave speeches.
Wanted improvement of legal and traditional rights for women.

9. Women’s Suffrage Movement
III. Sojourner Truth
Famous for her work as an “abolitionist” (people who opposed slavery).
Truth started speaking about women's rights after attending a Women's Rights Convention in 1848.
She was illiterate, but her words inspired crowds that heard her.
Aint I A woman Activity
Sojourner Truth was the self-given name, from 1843 onward, of Isabella Baumfree, Truth was born into slavery, but escaped with her infant daughter to freedom in 1826
Background: Promotional poster for Sojourner Truth’s 1851 Speech at the Women’s Rights Convention in Akron, Ohio (1851). At that convention she gave her famous “Ain’t I A Woman?” speech. Photo url:

10. IV. Susan B. Anthony Raised in a Quaker family.
-Stanton couldn’t travel due to being married but Anthony could. They would often team up and work together.
Together they would convince New York to pass a law protecting woman’s property rights.
This eventually lead to women being able to keep their own wages while married.

11. V. Emma Willard
In 1821 Emma Willard started an academy in Troy, New York that became the model for girl schools everywhere.
It attracted the daughters of doctors and lawyers by 1831 the school grew from 90 girls their first year to over 300 girls and the numbers kept growing.
Background: Photo of Lucretia Mott School 29, Indianapolis, Indiana taken in August, (The school was having some renovations to the front door and entryway.) Photo url:

12. VI. Mary Lyon
Started Mount Holyoke Female Seminary in Massachusetts in 1837
Became the first college for women in the United States.
School showed women could indeed learn subjects like Latin, geometry, and chemistry.

13. Careers
Gradually American began to get use to the idea of women being educated and women could become teachers.
More and More school began hiring women teachers.

14. Future of the Women’s Right Movement
Finally, after years of hard work, the 19th Amendment was added to the Constitution of the United States (August, 1920)!
Amendment XIX:
“The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex.”