Schoolhouse Rock - Sufferin' Till Suffrage

Women's Suffrage

     The entire goal of woman suffrage was to gain the right for a woman citizen to vote. This cause became something that both women and men became passionate about.
     Women suffragist faced much opposition throughout their cause. Men in general began to fear the changing role of women in society. Many thought that if women had the right to vote, they would vote in favor of prohibition or vote for restrictions on child labor. It is because of petty worries like these that suffrage was so hard to gain for women.

     As women began to take more roles in public reform, more criticism was thrown their way. Women pleaded for the right to vote because they, as men, were citizens of the United States of America. Women should be able to vote simply because it is their right as citizens.
     Suffrage for women was eventually gained with the passing of the Nineteenth Amendment. This addition to the constitution was adopted in 1920, giving women the right to vote. This right to vote is a privilege that should not be taken lightly. Many men and women worked to gain this right and all eligible citizens should take full advantage of voting.

Susan B. Anthony

Resolved, that the women of this nation in 1876, have greater cause for discontent, rebellion and revolution than the men of 1776. 

-Susan B. Anthony

         Susan B. Anthony was born into a Quaker family along with many activist traditions. Anthony was co-founder of the first Women's Temperance Movement along with Elizabeth Cady Stanton. Both Anthony and Stanton soon played pivotal roles in the women’s suffrage movement.

         In 1869, Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton founded an organization dedicated to creating women’s suffrage. This organization was called the National Woman Suffrage Association (NWSA). Anthony was insistent that Stanton should serve as the president of this organization as long as possible. Anthony served as the vice president of the NWSA until taking over as president in 1892.

         Susan B. Anthony died fourteen years before the Nineteenth Amendment was passed and gave women the right to vote.  After her death, Anthony was honored as the first American woman on circulating U.S. coinage with the production of the Susan B. Anthony dollar. 

Elizabeth Cady Stanton

The best protection any woman can have... is courage. 

-Elizabeth Cady Stanton

Elizabeth Cady Stanton was a leading proponent of the women’s suffragist movement. She was a leader of The Seneca Falls Convention, an influential women’s rights defense that was held in Seneca Falls, New York. Along with being a leading proponent in the women’s suffrage movement, Stanton was also the president of the National American Woman Suffrage Association for 20 years

Stanton’s contributions to the women’s suffrage movement eventually led to the creation of the Nineteenth Amendment. This addition to the constitution gave women the right to vote. Not only was the amendment the effect of Stanton’s work, it was also the culmination of the suffragist movement. It is because of people like Elizabeth Cady Stanton that the polls are now open to all.

Harriot Stanton Blatch

Unpaid work never commands respect; it is the paid worker who has brought to the public mind conviction of woman's worth. 

-Harriot Stanton Blatch

         Harriot Stanton Blatch was born in Seneca Falls, New York. Blatch was the daughter of another well-known suffragist, Elizabeth Cady Stanton. Her father was also active in reform by contributing to the cause of anti-slavery work. Blatch was born into the world of reform and she would contribute to reform movements just like her parents did.

         Harriot began to tour with her mother overseas and in America after finishing her schooling. After meeting her husband, William Blatch, Harriot lived in England for about twenty years. Moving to England put no restrictions on her work in the suffragist community. Blatch moved back to America in 1902 and became an active in the Women’s Trade Union and the National American Suffrage Association. Harriot founded the Equality League of Self-Supporting Women in 1907. This organization was devoted to bringing women in the workforce into the women’s right movement. While following in the footsteps of her mother, Harriot aided to the suffrage movement.

Jane Addams

I am not one of those who believe - broadly speaking - that women are better than men. We have not wrecked railroads, nor corrupted legislatures, nor done many unholy things that men have done; but then we must remember that we have not had the chance. 

-Jane Addams

         Jane Addams is probably most well known for her influence in the settlement movement. She founded the Hull-House in Chicago. This was one of many settlement houses that provided a place to stay, classes, health care and other social services. Addams also did many things to contribute to the suffrage movement as well as being the woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize. Addams was the first vice president of the National American Women Suffrage Association. The NAWSA was an organization founded in 1890 to gain voting rights for women. Women like Jane Addams paved the way for social reform that changed the way women were viewed in society. 

Frances Wright

It is in vain that we would circumscribe the power of one half of our race, and that half by far the most important and influential. 

-Frances Wright

         Frances Wright, who is better known today as Fanny Wright, was an advocate for women’s suffrage. Wright published Course of Popular Lectures in 1829. Many believe that this fueled the starting point for women’s suffrage. Wright worked with other suffragist leaders to such as Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott.

Suffragist leaders would use a three-part strategy to achieve their goals. First, they would try to convince state legislatures to grant women the right to vote. Second, women perused court cases to test the Fourteenth Amendment, which declared that states denying their male citizens the right to vote would lose congressional representation. Leaders would then argue the fact that women were indeed citizens too. Third, women pushed for a national constitutional amendment to grant women the right to vote. Through this strategy, suffragist leaders played a key role in gaining women’s suffrage.  

Florence Kelley

This position is untenable, and there can be no pause in the agitation for full political power and responsibility until these are granted to all the women of the nation.

-Florence Kelley

Florence Kelley was a women’s suffragist who worked along side Jane Addams. She became a resident at the Hull-House, meaning that she worked and lived there. Through working at the Hull-House, Kelley became a social activist in the neighborhood. Kelley also worked to achieve a minimum wage law and health care funds. Kelley is also well known for successfully petitioning the Illinois state legislature to pass a law for an eight-hour workday for women. The aid that Florence Kelley gave to the world of women’s rights in turn aided to the world of women’s suffrage.

Alice Stone Blackwell

Justice is better than chivalry if we cannot have both.

-Alice Stone Blackwell

         Alice Stone Blackwell was a suffragist and humanist who was a leading writer of the cause. Blackwell’s mother founded a women’s rights paper called the Women’s Journal. Blackwell, being born into the cause, eventually became editor of the paper that her mother had founded. She remained editor for thirty-five years. Blackwell also aided in the creation of the National American Woman Suffrage Association. This association was dedicated to achieving the right for women to vote. Through her persuasive writings, she aided to the cause of women’s rights.

William Lloyd Garrison

That which is not just is not law.

-William Lloyd Garrison

         William Lloyd Garrison was an editor, social reformer, and journalist. Garrison spent a great amount of time dealing with the abolition movement. He is best known for contributing to this movement through being the editor of an abolitionist newspaper, The Liberator. Through working at this newspaper, he began to advocate women’s suffrage. He ended his career of working for The Liberator and dedicated more of his time to support the reform cause of women’s rights and civil rights for blacks. Garrison became a prominent voice for women’s suffrage and spent his last fourteen years campaigning for the cause. 

Works Cited

“Alice Stone Blackwell.” nwhm.org.  nwhm, n.d. Web. 2 Jan. 2012.

Danzer, A. Gerald, et al. The Americans: Reconstruction of the 21^st Century. Evanston, IL: McDougal Littell, 2006. Print.

“Elizabeth Cady Stanton.” Bio.com. Bio, n.d. Web. 2 Jan. 2012.

“Florence Kelley.” About.com. about, n.d. Web. 2 Jan. 2012.

“Jane Addams.” About.com. about, n.d. Web. 2 Jan. 2012.

“Suffragist.” Susanbanthonyhouse.org. Susanbanthonyhouse, n.d. Web. 2 Jan. 2012.

“William Lloyd Garrison and Maria Stewart.” satucket.com. Satucket, n.d. Web. 2 Jan. 2012.

“75 Suffragists.” mith.umd.edu. Mith, n.d. Web. 2 Jan. 2012.