1. The American Woman Suffrage Movement 1848-1920 Right to vote: Suffrage = Enfranchisement = Franchise

2. Seneca Falls, NY 1848 In the early 1800s, it was considered okay for (upper & middle-class) women to be involved in movements outside the home if they dealt with social problems such as abolition (no slavery), temperance (no alcohol) Women involved in abolitionism became increasingly insistent that they get their rights too In 1848 a group of men and women gathered in Seneca Falls, NY Led by Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott, & they wrote The Declaration of Sentiments which called for women’s rights

3. Pair/Share & write your answers Based on The Declaration of Sentiments: 1. Why do you think that the women at Seneca Falls copied the format of the Declaration of Independence? 2. What are three things women complained about? 3. Are you surprised by any of the grievances? Why or why not? 4. Do any of the grievances seem like they’re still true today?

4. Fifteenth Amendment, 1871 The 13 th Amendment gave blacks freedom from slavery The 14 th Amendment gave blacks the rights of citizenship The 15 th Amendment granted African- American men the right to vote This disappointed many women who thought African American men and women would be enfranchised together Even African Americans split over whether men should get vote before women

5. Frederick Douglass, 1869 “When women, because they are women,... are dragged from their houses and hung upon lamp posts; when their children are torn from their arms, and their brains dashed upon the pavement... then they will have an urgency to obtain the ballot equal to our own.” But was this not true for the black woman? “Yes, yes, yes. It is true for the black woman but not because she is a woman but because she is black!”

6. Sojourner Truth, 1869 “There is a great stir about colored men getting their rights, but not a word about the colored women... And if colored men get their rights, and not colored women theirs, you see the colored men will be masters over the women, and it will be just as bad as it was before.”

7. Pair/Share & write your answers Based on Frederick Douglass’ and Sojourner Truth’s arguments: 5. Do you agree with F. Douglass or S. Truth? Explain.

8. There were also many Anti- Suffragists: Those who opposed suffrage (many “Anti’s” were women)

9. Pair/Share & write your answers Some people didn’t think women should get the right to vote: 6. What do you think were some of the reasons why both men and women were Anti- women’s suffrage?

10. Arguments of Anti- Suffragists: Women were high-strung, irrational, emotional Women were not smart or educated enough Women should stay at home Women were too physically frail; they would get tired just walking to the polling station Women would become masculine if they voted

11. Before 1910 There were two major women’s suffrage associations The National American Woman Suffrage Association led by Susan B. Anthony & Elizabeth Cady Stanton The Congressional Union (or Woman’s Party) led by Alice Paul The two groups disagreed on the right strategy that they should follow: Try to win suffrage state-by-state Try to pass a Constitutional Amendment (but this would need to be ratified by 36 states--or three-fourths)

12. National American Women Suffrage Association NAWSA Was led by Susan B. Anthony, and later Elizabeth Cady Stanton Unified the National Woman Suffrage Association (NWSA) and the American Woman Suffrage Association (AWSA) in 1890 Used a careful state-by- state strategy Supported President Wilson during WWI even if he didn’t outright support suffrage) Believed that members should act ladylike and not embarrass the movement

13. National Woman’s Party NWP Focused on passing a Constitutional Amendment Picked up un-ladylike strategies from British suffragists (e.g., heckling politicians, picketing) Refused to support President Wilson if he wouldn’t support woman suffrage Were arrested for picketing in front of the White House; they were put in jail, went on a hunger strike and were force-fed

14. The Next Generation Elizabeth Cady Stanton died 1902 Susan B. Anthony died 1906 But in the early 1900s many young middle-class women were going to college and joining the suffrage movement Many working-class women also joined the cause, hoping the right to vote would help improve working conditions

15. Pair/Share & write your answers Based on the two strategies to get women the right to vote: 7. Which strategy is smarter? Explain why you think so.

17. Pair/Share & write your answers Based on the two strategies to get women the right to vote: 8. Why do you think that some of the Western states were open to women’s suffrage long before the Eastern states?

18. 19th Amendment 1920 “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. Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.” (Tennessee was the 36th state to ratify and it passed by only 1 vote)