WOMAN SUFFRAGE MOVEMENT

Woman Suffrage Movement



Woman Suffrage Movement

Purpose of the Study

The purpose of my research paper to evaluate and elaborate on the suffrage movement and the effect this reform had on all class of women. I intend to research different women who impacted the movement and there involvement in creating the suffrage movement a victorious one.

Thesis Statement

The woman suffrage movement in the United States achieved its goal in the twentieth century giving full voting rights to women, and brought about reform allowing women to have a voice in political and economic settings. The right for a woman to vote gave way to improve working conditions and raise wage earnings. Ultimately, the right to vote gave women an equal chance with man in society. Women from different races and social classes such as Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Lucretia Mott, Mary Ann McClintock, Jane Hunt, and Martha C Wright were influential in the fight for a woman's right to vote.

Introduction

In 1900s, women intensively felt discriminated against by men and by most of society. Men generally held discriminatory and stereotypical views of women, which made many women dissatisfied with their lives and made them, feel their lives were unfulfilled and spinning out of control. Discrimination spurred women to take action. Women began to revolt, they began expressing the feelings they had bottled up inside all along. Kate Chopin wrote The Awakening, which helped other women to know they were not alone.

First, in 1848 women rebelled against men's stereotypical views and organized the Seneca Falls convention. Seventy-two years before the 19th amendment was added to the constitution, women knew changes needed to be made. Five women: Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Lucretia Mott, Mary Ann McClintock, Jane Hunt, and Martha C Wright; came together in Stanton's hometown of Seneca Falls, New York, and arranged the First Woman's Rights Convention. They were fed up with the laws prohibiting them from the right to vote, hold office or sit on juries. In most states they could only hold property if they were single and could secure the guardianship of a man. Their main grievances were clearly stated in a document, which were created shortly after the convention and first printed in a small town paper, that document was the Declaration of Rights and Sentiments.

Main Body

The right for women (suffrage movement) to vote has been remained a hot issue since the nineteenth amendment has been passed and added in the constitution. People reacted for and against the issue. The moot issue has received very much attention since three-fourths of the states had ratified the 19th Amendment, women were granted the right to vote in 1920.

Some people looked at the matter as a threat for the state. In their point of view it was against the solidarity of the state to give the right of vote to women. (McGill, 2005, p 98-102) For three-fourths of the States to attempt to compel the other one-fourth of the States of the Union, by constitutional amendment, to adopt a principle of suffrage believed ...