From Seneca Falls To Suffrage Analysis
Before August 18th, 1920, only men could vote in the United States. One person that helped to right this wrong was Carrie Chapman Catt. In Carrie Chapman Catt’s address to Congress on women’s suffrage, she uses logos, pathos, and other rhetorical devices to convince Congress to give women more rights. One tool that helps make this speech as effective as it is is logos. She demonstrates logos when introducing the second reason as to why women’s suffrage is inevitable.
Because of sexist opinions of the time, many people believed that a woman had no power to create change, especially in government since she could not vote. Women themselves believed this societal expectation, and although Grimke does not reject society’s idea of femininity and womanhood entirely, she specifically rejects their supposed political incompetence in a rebuttal. Using evidence from general and specific political movements in England, all of which were greatly aided by the support of women petitioning the government, Grimke assured her audience that “When the women of these States send up to Congress such a petition our legislators will arise, as did those of England, and say: ‘When all the maids and matrons of the land are knocking at our doors we must legislate.’” (Grimke, 192) This summary of her somewhat vague past points is similarly nonspecific; however, this is still effective since simply alluding to historical events rather than explaining them was sufficient for an audience that knew more about England and its history than contemporary Americans do today.
The book ‘Long Island and the Woman Suffrage Movement’, written by Antonia Petrash is a reflection upon the many Long Island women who took a stand for independence and made winning the vote their life’s work. The author begins each chapter by drawing you into a story, then unfolds the character’s biography. It highlights the dedicated support from Long Island women of all classes; the elite socialites, the working and non-working women, to the first African American woman to found a suffrage organization. New York State was the birth of the Women's Rights Movement with the first women’s rights convention held in Seneca Falls in 1848. Early suffragettes had set the foundation, and for seventy-two years national and international women would
Even though the message included gaining the support of the people to achieve a common cause of women getting the right to vote, Florence Kelley developed her argument through the community’s status dealing with child labor. The use of rhetorical strategies persuaded the audience -the Association accompanied by men and women across the country- to act in order to discontinue the practice of child labor. Additionally it conveniences the audience of the importance of the women’s point of view in the government. Other women in the National American Woman Suffrage Association exhaustingly fought in order to make their voice heard.
Women engaged in social and political reform, including the attempt to implement the Equal Rights Amendment, which demanded equality of the sexes. Despite this amendment ultimately not getting ratified, it underscores women’s attempts to challenge the patriarchal norms and systems during this time period. While the women’s movement made major strides towards achieving gender equality, it was met with opposition, arguing in support of traditional American social
1849 to 1910 was an important time for America. Reforms were happening all across the board, affecting workers, African Americans, and children. It was also very crucial for women’s rights – voting rights in particular. This period saw the beginning of the women’s suffrage movement; however, it also marked the start of anti-suffrage. During this time, society was divided with one of the simplest and most complicated questions of the era: what is the proper role of women?
The Women’s Rights Movement originated from the public protest meeting in Seneca Falls, New York in 1848. Many at the meeting were skeptical about the demands being made to allow women to exercise the right to participate in government and vote. Elizabeth Cady Stanton, the primary organizer of the meeting, remembered that many attending, including radical Lucretia Mott, thought that the demand was too far advanced for the time. They believed that advocating for political equality was also “too morally questionable” to include in this movement
Leaders of the American Feminist Movement began to draw parallels between the struggles of women and the plight of slaves, and pressed the boundaries of “acceptable” female behavior. The Seneca Falls Convention was organized to discuss the question of women’s right, and out of the meeting came the Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions. This declaration stated that “all men and women are created equal,” and women no less than men are endowed with certain inalienable rights (Doc 6). In demanding the right to vote, they launched a movement for woman suffrage that would survive until the battle was finally won in 1920. Yet, during this time, women who were black faced an even greater struggle.
In July of 1848 a convention was held in Seneca Falls, New York whose purpose was “to discuss the social, civil, and religious condition and rights of woman.” This convention was attended by almost 200 women and was the first women’s rights convention to ever be held. It was brought to fruition by Lucretia Mott and Elizabeth Cody Stanton and is known as the Seneca Falls Convention. The two had met 8 years before at an anti-slavery convention and had not been allowed to enter because of their sex. They then decided to begin to advocate for women’s rights and even though it took many years to accomplish, hosted the Seneca Falls women’s rights convention.
In “Women of Color and the Reproductive Rights Movement”, author Jennifer Nelson takes the readers back to the Unites States in the mid to late nineteenth century, where the feminist movement began to focus on the reproductive rights of women. Feminists argued that abortion was the decision of the woman who was with child, and her alone. However, several politicians disagreed with the ideology of these women. The author meticulously analyzes the rise of reproductive rights, the feminist movement, and reveals to her readers the essential involvement of women of color in these former issues between the years 1960 and 1980. Nelson begins her book by introducing a feminist organization called the “Redstockings”, who believed that it was wrong
Coming up with their resolution through the Seneca Falls movement, the “Declaration of Rights and Sentiments” was the movement’s blue print that constrained the various grievances in regard to how the national government viewed women. Their criticism of this matter expressed disapproval amongst the governing body to esteem women as vital contributors of affairs within society. However, women were largely considered a secondary figure. This was well advocated for as most of the issues were addressed through a constitutional reform that recognized the place that women held (McMillen, 2009, p. 93).
After the deaths of many of the women’s rights activists from the older generation, younger leaders began to take charge, and they often aligned themselves with the Progressives. During this time, women’s roles were viewed as homemakers, so many of the Progressive women defended their reform actions as an extension of the traditional role of women. Among, the many values held for many decades by these reformers was the right to vote for women. In her piece, “Why Women Should Vote”, Jane Adams argued how women needed this right “in order to preserve the home,” (Doc C). These views developed into the ratification of the 19th Amendment in 1920, which gave women the right to vote.
In the Progressive Era, ‘women reformers did not have faith in the traditional biased government. The women reform group adopted new political techniques. There techniques included marching, and demonstrating as unbiased pressure groups’. (Goldfield, ed., The American Journey: A History of the United State, pgs.
Before the 1900s, women were portrayed as fragile individuals incapable of taking part in any hard work or making any decisions for themselves. Their dreams of taking part in the economy, politics, and society were denied simply due to their gender. It wasn’t until suffragists such as Lucretia Mott and Elizabeth Cady Stanton decided to take a stand in 1848 and hold a meeting known as the Seneca Falls Convention. This was the first step towards a change for women’s rights that had lasting effects on American society. This suffrage movement grew influence throughout the Civil War and even post-war to the point where women all over the United States joined the suffragists in fighting for thier rights.
A few years later, after the widespread voices that ascended women into recognition for change, movements had begun to assemble in towards greater equality. Women had no place to be involved in political affairs, and as recognition started to manifest, in 1848, “the first women’s rights convention is held in Seneca Falls, New York.” (Imbornoni n.d, para. 2). The purpose of this convention was to acknowledge the equality between both genders and allow voting rights for women. This was the first women engagement into American Politics, it’s also the “story of women’s struggle to be treated as human beings –“separate and equal” “(Lynne 24).
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