Women's Suffrage Movement

1835 Words8 Pages
Fighting for a cause The women’s suffrage movement, symbol of nineteenth and early twentieth century feminism, is the one most visible manifestation of women’s emancipation. From the birth of the nation to a Constitutional Amendment passed in 1920, suffrage for women had been batted aside, ignored, criticized, and denied. Those who attacked women’s suffrage were attacking much more than the idea that women as well as men should enter the polling booth. Across America women living in the 1900’s were angry and tired of feeling betrayed and treated as an unequal second class citizen. However these brave remarkable women decided to take action that helped forever changed American history, the right to vote. Because of their determination,…show more content…
Without the split between NAWSA and the NWP, suffrage would have experienced many roadblocks. While determined and persistent, the women of NAWSA believed firmly that the only way suffrage could be achieved was through a state-by-state campaign, a long and arduous process. At the time of the 19th Amendment’s ratification, the majority of states had not granted women the right to vote. Although the suffrage movement could have eventually succeeded, it would have been incalculably stalled without the formation of the NWP. In addition, the suffrage movement would have been robbed of the vocal and passionate leaders Alice Paul and Lucy Burns. Had they maintained ties with NAWSA, their radical ideas would have been ignored in favor of older, more experienced suffragettes. The movement would have been deprived of many new voices and ideas, as well as the new generation of suffragettes that formed along with the…show more content…
(www.peaceisawomansjob.com/jeannette_01.htm) Women in the west could now own property, vote, and hold office, and were fully expected to fend for themselves in society. These changes in women’s rights proved to the leaders of national suffrage campaigns that society could in fact function and still grant women the right to vote. The expansion of the United States must be regarded as crucial to the suffrage movement by existing as a model for a society that enfranchised women. Both the state-by-state and national campaigns looked to the free women of the west as examples, proving to the country that women indeed deserved the vote. after accomplishing a long sought after goals and overcoming tremendous obstacles, they achieved great lengths which led to their vicotory. By 1916, almost all of the major suffrage organizations were united behind the goal of a constitutional amendment. Not to mention President W. On June 4, 1919, the United States Senate had endorsed the Amendment, voting 56 to 25, and sending the amendment to the
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