Women's Suffrage Movement: An Analysis

Feminism is described as the advocacy of women’s rights on the grounds of political, social, and economic equality to men. The suffrage movement began in the mid-1800s, and has continued to impact our lives ever since. Women wanted the right to vote, but they also wanted what came after the right to vote. Women expected the right to vote transform their social standing with men. A woman’s sphere is her place in society, and traditionally women’s spheres have been confined to the family. Dubois claims that the women’s suffrage movement was a response to the antislavery movement. Many believe that women saw the antislavery movement taking place, and realized they were oppressed. However, Dubois claims that women already knew they were oppressed, the antislavery movement just showed the women how to make the political changes they desired. Before the suffrage movement began, domestic reformers helped to draw a connection between women’s household role and how it affected the community. This connection did not lessen the oppression

Dubois is a proponent of complete political reform, which means she needs the women of the nineteenth century to be portrayed as radicals as well. There is a possibility of exaggeration to fit her complete reform agenda. Another source of question is this book claims that the women’s suffrage movement has a huge impact on society today, yet it focuses only on the movement at its beginnings in the mid to late nineteenth century. Her overuse of quotes in the first chapter leaves me wishing for more analysis of the amazing people hse quoted. Even though the book has its downfalls, this book does an impeccable job at discussing the history of the feminist movement. It also is a contribution to the many women who dealt with ridicule and hate because they believed all men and women were created equal, not just