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The Women's Suffrage Movement

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A snapshot of the world during the year 1917 would show a picture of the world so jumbled and in disarray it would resemble something out of a Where’s Waldo book rather than the natural state of global affairs that was normal before World War One. The world was not only in crisis, but at a turning point in deciding the future of the world order and how democracy and liberty would play a role in the rebuilding of the destroyed nations. Russia had chosen a path of decreased liberty and freedom during its revolution at the time, and the United States was about to join the fight in the name of protecting its own country. However, over time in the war American politicians sought to create a future world order of democracy for all nations of the …show more content…

One such growth would be the victory of the women’s suffrage movement with the passing of the 19th Amendment which allowed women the right to vote. Feminists saw that the federal government was hypocritical in its calls for world democracy and liberty, and jumped at the chance to call the fault out. Iowa State aluma and leading national suffragist Carrie Chapman Catt points out that, “the leadership of the United States in world democracy compels the enfranchisement of its own women,” (Carrie Chapman Catt, suffrage speech to Congress, 1917 - reading set 5). Despite this national victory, there were plenty of setbacks for the American public when it came to liberties and freedoms. During World War One, congress passed the Espionage and Sedition Acts that, “prohibited any criticism of government leaders and war policies,” (Shi and Tindall, p. 1004). The irony was not found, or sought by American politicians who vowed to create a world of freedom and democracy. Civil liberties were also stolen from immigrants over fears of communism and anarchism during the 1920’s with the first red scare. However, all of these slights to liberty pale in comparison to the forced internment of thousands of Japanese-American citizens along the west coast during World War Two. Hiding behind the facade of “military necessity” (Shi and Tindall, p. 1182) Roosevelt conducted one of the largest breaches of civil liberties in American history, all while fighting a war to spread freedom to the globe. These breaches of freedom on American citizens prove to be a stain on the legacy of two great residents who truly sought world peace and freedom, but were not able to achieve it

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