“The Final Rush for Suffrage” in the United States Through the Experience and Contributions of Working-Class Women from the Late 19th Century thro...
analytical Essay
809 words
“Although the world is full of suffering, it is full also of the overcoming of it,” as stated by Helen Keller in her essay Optimism. With the start of the women’s suffrage movement in the United States during the mid-nineteenth century abolition was a prominent theme in many suffrage activities as the Civil War approached. With the country reunited and slavery conquered, suffrage for African American’s became a new goal alongside achieving the vote for all women. Racial tensions and anti-Semitism paired with discrimination towards the working-class made relations difficult, but it was obvious to all that cooperation was the only means of achieving the vote. As the fight for suffrage concluded, the country’s women contended against the patriarchal system and internal conflict of the movement until they won the battle with the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment in 1920. During the late 19th and early 20th century, working-class women in the United States fought for their rights as humans during the fight for suffrage as they persevered against injustices of sex, class, and ethnicity, despite their overshadowed contributions. In 1848, the convention in Seneca Falls, New York produced the “Declaration of Sentiments” in the name of American women, which was brought about by Elizabeth Stanton and Lucretia Mott. Across the nation, groups came together holding conventions in direct reaction to the convention held at Seneca Falls, in addition to the consequential birth of women’s rights organizations. In 1851 at a convention in Ohio, Sojourner Truth, former slave and activist, gave her famous speech requesting that “if woman upset the world, do give her a chance to set it right side up again.” Just as Truth labored for women’s su... ... middle of paper ... ...edited by Linda K. Kerber, Jane Sherron de Hart, and Cornelia Hughes Dayton, 269-271. 7th ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 2011. Quoted in Klapper, Melissa R., Ballots, Babies, and Banners of Peace: American Jewish Women’s Activism, 1890-1940.New York: New York University Press, 2013. Klapper, Melissa R., Ballots, Babies, and Banners of Peace: American Jewish Women’s Activism, 1890-1940.New York: New York University Press, 2013. “Equal Suffrage (Nineteenth) Amendment, 1920.” In Women’s America: Refocusing the Past, edited by Linda K. Kerber, Jane Sherron de Hart, and Cornelia Hughes Dayton, 429-431. 7th ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 2011. “Minor v. Happersett, 1874.” In Women’s America: Refocusing the Past, edited by Linda K. Kerber, Jane Sherron de Hart, and Cornelia Hughes Dayton, 315-316. 7th ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 2011.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how the women's suffrage movement in the united states fought for their rights as humans during the late 19th and early 20th century.
- Explains that the declaration of sentiments was produced by elizabeth stanton and lucretia mott in 1848, and the birth of women's rights organizations. sojourner truth labored for women’s suffrage as well as former slaves.
- Explains that after the civil war, the women's movement began in its own right. the awsa and nwsa opposed the fifteenth amendment, which excluded african american women in support of "the negro’s hour."
- Describes how nawsa formed from the awsa and nwsa rejuvenating the fight for women's rights after a decade of little advance.
- Explains that the power needed to achieve suffrage could not be obtained without working-class women being active participants.
- Analyzes how the women's movement turned to the start of world war i, when the battle for women’s suffrage was seen as frivolous and disrespectful, but militant tactics by the nwp continued despite both negative public opinion and nawsa.
- Analyzes how gerda lerner commented on the inadequacy of the women's suffrage movement in a letter to betty friedman, author of feminine mystique.
- Cites duniway, abigail scott, luscomb, florence, and keller, helen, in modern american women: a documentary history, 2nd ed., edited by susan ware.
- Quotes ware, susan, in modern american women: a documentary history, 2nd ed., edited by horowitz, daniel.
- Quotes linda k. kerber, jane sherron de hart, and cornelia hughes dayton in women's america: refocusing the past, 269-271.
- Quotes klapper, melissa r., ballots, babies, and banners of peace: american jewish women’s activism, 1890-1940.
- Cites linda kerber, jane sherron de hart, and cornelia hughes dayton's "minor v. happersett, 1874."
Related
- explanatory
- analytical
- opinion
- Women’s Rights Movementexplanatory essayClinton, Catherine. The Columbia Guide to American Women in the Nineteenth Century (Columbia University Press, 2000).
In this essay, the author
- Explains that women traditionally had fewer rights than men. the early colonists operated under english common law which restricted rights while giving women additional duties in the house hold.
- Explains that women's roles during the colonial period of the 1700s were extremely challenging. women were dominated by men from brothers and fathers to their husband after marriage.
- Explains that abolitionists felt betrayed by the men they supported who were preoccupied with african americans freedom. the american woman suffrage association was formed in 1869 and led by lucy stone and henry blackwell.
- Explains boylan, anne m., the origins of women’s activism: new york and boston.
- Cites clinton, catherine, the columbia guide to american women in the nineteenth century.
- Explains that stern, madeleine d., we the women: career firsts of the nineteenth century.
- Explains that the revolutionary war brought political involvement for women's organizations, such as the daughter’s of liberty. abigail adams wrote a letter to congress and her husband john adams pleading for recognition.
- Explains that alice paul was chair of the congressional (nawsa) in 1912, but withdrew to form the congressional union for woman suffrage and then the national woman's party in 1917.
2215 wordsRead More - Power of Women and Women of Poweranalytical essayKerber, Linda K., De Hart Jane Sherron, and Cornelia Hughes. Dayton. Women's America: Refocusing the past. New York: Oxford UP, 2011. Print.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that women have found power in a variety of ways through history in their struggle for justice and equality. they will examine the ways in which three different women, of different races and times, were able to find such power.
- Analyzes how elizabeth cady stanton's declaration of sentiments transformed the words of men who sought freedom from their oppressors into women seeking the same.
- Analyzes how eleanor roosevelt found power through class issues and leveraged it to further her own itinerary.
- Argues that melba beals found power threw race. she used her race to gain equal access to a higher quality of education and educational resources.
- Argues that melba beals real power is found in her strength, positive attitude and perseverance.
- Analyzes how melba's home life changed at the age of eleven when her father moved out. india provided her with guidance, words of wisdom, strength, knowledge from the bible, and faith in god.
- Cites beals, melba, kerber, linda k., de hart jane sherron, and cornelia hughes. women's america: refocusing the past.
1097 wordsRead More - The Williams Sisters: Double Trouble on the Tennis Courtanalytical essayMatthews, Glenna. "Gibson, Althea." American Women's History: A Student Companion. Dec. 1 2000: n.p. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 16 Apr. 2014.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that the civil rights movement altered everyday life for all african americans and soon other minorities in america, and changed the world of sports for african american legends.
- Explains that the early 1900s opened the door for african americans and women to infiltrate the sports world.
- Explains that althea gibson, a natural athlete from the beginning, was bound for greatness. she was the new york city women's paddle tennis champion by 1939.
- Narrates how althea became the first african-american to compete in the u.s. nationals and the prestigious wimbledon tournaments. she won six doubles titles, 11 grand slam events, and was inducted into the international tennis hall of fame.
- Analyzes how althea gibson paved the way in golf for the female professional players such as the williams sisters.
- Analyzes how althea's legacy, determination, childhood, and inspiration spread like wildfire when by her autobiography called i always wanted to be somebody.
- Opines that althea gibson's legacy is still carried by all the african american female athletes that represent women and the civil right movement’s accomplishments in the world of sports.
- Explains that bosanac, alexandra, and matthews, glenna. "gibson, althea." american women's history: a student companion.
1233 wordsRead More - Women in the roaring twentiesanalytical essayIt is not often that that any aspect of society experiences a complete overhaul, nevermind within a period of time as short as ten years. Nonetheless, just such an event occurred with the women’s revolution in the 1920s. By the dawn of the twentieth century, the United States was thoroughly entangled in the first successful women’s rights movement. Seventy years earlier, in 1848, 100 activists attended the Seneca Falls Convention in support of women’s rights, especially those that would allow the female to hold the power of the ballot. Much of the rest of the movement addressed social and institutional barriers that limited women’s rights in society. However, activist groups struggled to maintain momentum and gather support after enfranchisement was denied in the 1950s. At that time, the fifteenth amendment to the Constitution prohibited voting restrictions on the basis of race. It did not, however, include similar guarantees on the basis of gender. 1 Despite these less-than-favorable conditions at the turn of the century, the state of the women’s rights movement took a turn for the better at the start of the twenties. The time bridging the gap between these two eras featured transitional ideas that melding old world opinions with changing ideals to lead the nation into the Roaring Twenties.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how the women's rights movement took a turn for the better at the start of the twenties.
- Analyzes how women in america struggled to escape the confines placed on them by ancient expectations that placed them in subservient roles as the weaker sex.
- Explains that the last straw was provided by world war i, when americans were exposed to new cultural and social ideas that swept across the nation through print.
- Analyzes how the women of the roaring twenties rebelled against traditional victorian ideals for women. half of all cigarette customers were female, and most of them fit into a specific stereotype.
- Explains how the nation began to develop an obsession with female sexuality and appearance that had the everyday working woman getting her hair and nails done at beauty parlors.
- Explains how the female athlete revolutionized the preconceptions many held about women. helen wills and gertrude ederle embodied the spirit of the era.
- Analyzes how women in the 1920s were affected by role models like athletes, but on a grander scale, they looked to them for guidance on how to dress, talk, and be sexy. dorothy dix was the most influential female voice of her time.
- Explains how women across all social and economic classes embodied the ideals of the new woman through fashion and their flapper style of dress.
- Explains that altman, linda jacobs, the decade that roared: america during prohibition.
- Explains tiede, tom, american tapestry: eyewitness accounts of the twentieth century.
- Explains wic - women's history in america. http://www.wic.org/misc/history.htm.
- Explains the women's rights movement, 1848-1920. http://history.house.gov/exhibitions-and-publications/wic/historical-essays/no-lady
1520 wordsRead More - How important was Phyllis Schlafly’s role in the defeat of the U.S. Equal Rights Amendment?analytical essay“National Women’s Conference.” Off Our Backs 8, no. 1 (1978): 2-3. Accessed February 12, 2012. http://www.jstor.org/stable/25792578.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes phyllis schlafly's role in the defeat of the u.s. equal rights amendment.
- Explains that the equal rights amendment was drafted by alice paul and the national organization for women. the opposition against the era was headed by phyllis schlafly.
- Analyzes how proponents of the equal rights amendment defaced buildings, harassed and bribed legislators, and used peaceful, feminine tactics to their advantage.
- Explains that the equal rights amendment would prohibit discrimination against women in the workplace and work toward better protection toward both men and women.
- Analyzes how schlafly and her stop era and eagle forum groups campaigned vehemently against the equal rights amendment.
- Analyzes how phyllis schlafly's anti-era propaganda letter, "stop era," was written in 1978, and it was found online from smithsonian source.
- Explains that the article "the equal rights amendment: a constitutional basis for equal rights of women" was written in the yale law journal in 1971.
- Opines that phyllis schlafly's contributions to the opposition of the equal rights amendment were important; the race to ratification would have been much closer had it not been for her involvement.
- Analyzes how schlafly's anti-era campaign was comparatively mild, with no arguments for women to protest the era.
- Analyzes how schlafly and other era opponents argued that the equal rights amendment would be detrimental toward the current rights held by women.
- Analyzes how the equal rights amendment's supposed negative impact toward family life was used to turn americans against the amendment.
- Analyzes how phyllis schlafly, either directly through her campaigning or indirectly through one of her organizations, is highly influential in almost every aspect of opposition against the equal rights amendment.
- Cites brown, barbara a., thomas i. emerson, gail falk, and ann e. freedman. the equal rights amendment is a constitutional basis for equal rights for women.
- Explains gladstone, leslie w., “the long road to equality: what women won from the era ratification effort.” the library of congress: american memory.
- Analyzes gorey, hays, jane o’reilly, and anastasia toufexis' article, "what killed equal rights."
- Analyzes schlafly, phyllis, and scott, wilbur j. the equal rights amendment as status politics.
2097 wordsRead More - American Women in the Nineteenth Centuryanalytical essayClinton, Catherine. The Other Civil War: American Women in the Nineteenth Century. New York: Hill and Wang, 1984. Print.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how ideas on femininity in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries were not restrictive — it was accepted for women to have a high sex drive.
- Analyzes how the double standard of perfection is eloquently portrayed in a lost lady by niel's ability to promptly forget her benevolence and condemn her
- Analyzes how esther perel, a psychotherapist who commented on the female perspective of infidelity, encourages people to try to empathize and comprehend why women indulge in love affairs.
- Analyzes how frank is enticing to marian because he is the opposite of her husband in good health, passionate and romantic.
- Analyzes how niel's knack to overlook any shortcomings in mr. forrester is irrefutable evidence of chauvinistic principles.
- Analyzes how willa cather embedded the novel with discriminatory values because it was representative of the time.
- Describes the works of willa clinton, catherine clinton and jean-philippe laurenceau, lisa feldman barrett, and michael j. rovine.
1184 wordsRead More - Women in the Progressive Eraexplanatory essaySchneider, Dorothy. American Women in the Progressive Era 1900-1920. New York: Facts on File, 1993.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that american women emerged as a major force for social reform in the 1890s and 1920s. they organized associations to come up with solutions to society's problems.
- Explains that women struggled to achieve equality as citizens, equality in the work place, and equality at home.
- Explains that women and women's organizations worked for various rights for different groups of people, such as the right to vote, political equality, and social reforms.
- Explains that women wanted the same rights as men, but it wasn't a one-person battle. they fought for minorities, prostitution, and child labor laws. opponents believed women were less intelligent and less able to make political decisions.
- Explains that progressivism was not just a single movement, rather it was several different organizations of people trying to accomplish their own goals.
- Explains that progressives saw that the future for a new america ultimately depended on changing the government and politics.
- Describes how women acted through various organizations during the progressive era, such as the young women's christian association, the national consumers' league, and other trade unions. they won minimum wage and maximum hours for women workers through muller v. oregon, public health programs for pregnant women and babies and improved educational opportunities for children and adults.
- Explains that florence kelley, jane addams, ellen swallow richards and susan b. anthony had an impeccable impact on the way everyone, not to mention women, live life today.
- Opines that florence kelley was among the many famous and powerful women associated with the progressive era. she had many roles in many movements, including the abolishment of child labor, the passage of protective legislation for working women, and the establishment of minimum wage laws.
- Explains that kelley helped establish sixty-four local consumers' leagues throughout the united states, and is best known for the successful defense of the ten-hour-working-day legislation for women in the 1908 u.s. supreme court decision.
- Explains that kelley was not alone when it came to her battles in the progressive era. they tended to be old-stock, upper-middle-class americans who wanted to preserve traditional american values against what they believed was a threat against their way of life.
- Explains that the progressive era had an immigrant problem. many of these female reformers were educated in colleges, but were banned from most professional careers.
- Explains that the temperance union sought to eliminate the dominantly male immigrant worker's habits, including drinking, saloons, and prostitution.
- Describes how the settlement houses were renovated, maintained, and lived in. they were located within ethnic neighborhoods to improve' the people who resided there and at the same time, americanize them.
- Explains that working in the settlement houses was considered 'women's work', however, american women’s proper' place was still seen as being married and staying at home.
- Explains that most of the settlement houses were founded by women, and that they became sites of new ideas, such as the national association for the advancement of colored people
- Narrates how albion fellows bacon was a sanitation committee member of the evansville civic improvement society in indiana. she believed substandard housing was the cause of many social problems.
- Explains that the progressive era was not limited to white reformers, but the african-american community also worked to improve their living conditions. black women's clubs grew dramatically thanks to one particular woman, ida b. wells-barnett.
- Explains that the national women's trade union league (nwtul) was formed in 1903 to develop a good relationship between working and wealthy women.
- Explains that the nwtul was successful in training rank-and-file labor women who went on to help promote labor organizations and reforms.
- Opines that progressive reformers created many policies that we accept as a natural part of our national life today, and women's actions in the progressive era was just one step towards equality of the sexes.
- Describes the women's liberation movement in america, including frankel, voralee, and nancy schrom dye.
2111 wordsRead More - Great Achievements of Women of the Wild Westopinion essayVarigny, C and Arabella Ward. The Women of the United States. New York: Dodd, Mead, and Company, 1895. Google. Web. 1 Jun. 2010.
In this essay, the author
- Opines that women in the wild west should receive more recognition for what they have done.
- Opines that women should receive more recognition for providing for their families in the wild west.
- Opines that women of the wild west deserve more recognition for leading an expedition through the country.
- Opines that women deserve recognition for their contributions to the wild west.
- Opines that women of the wild west deserve recognition for their contributions to settling the west.
- Explains that garceau, dee, roberts, cokie, and stratton, joanna l. the women of the united states.
1762 wordsRead More - Role of Women in Early Republicanalytical essayKreber, Linda K. Women In The Republic: Intellect And Ideology Revolutionary America. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, Aug. 1, 1986.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that the role of women in the early republic is a topic mostly overlooked by historians when dealing with this era of american history.
- Explains that linda kreber's women in the republic: intellect and ideology in revolutionary america was written to focus on the role of women after the revolution.
- Analyzes robbins' analysis of mary norton's liberty’s daughters: the revolutionary experience of american women, which highlighted the subservient nature of women to men in the early american household.
- Analyzes the paradoxical relationship between educated women and men in the early american republic.
- Compares linda kreber's book women in the republic: intellect and ideology in revolutionary america with mcmahon'
- Analyzes how caroline robbins' review of liberty's daughters and kreber’s book shared many similarities. norton said the revolution was the driving force behind changing the role of women in the early republic.
- Compares robbins' and skemp's views on the role of women in the home.
- Analyzes how linda kreber, caroline robbins, and sheila skemp pronounced different conclusions as to what caused a change in women's rights in the early republic.
- Cites kreber, linda k., robbins, caroline, and skemp, sheila. women in the republic: intellect and ideology revolutionary america.
1773 wordsRead More - Cult of True Womanhood: Women's Suffrageanalytical essayIn the 1840’s, most of American women were beginning to become agitated by the morals and values that were expected of womanhood. “Historians have named this the ’Cult of True Womanhood’: that is, the idea that the only ‘true’ woman was a pious, submissive wife and mother concerned exclusively with home and family” (History.com). Voting was only the right of men, but women were on the brink to let their voices be heard. Women pioneers such as Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott wrote eleven resolutions in The Seneca Falls Declaration of Sentiments; this historical document demanded abolishment of any laws that authorized unequal treatment of women and to allow for passage of a suffrage amendment.
In this essay, the author
- Describes the 'cult of true womanhood', the idea that the only true woman was a pious, submissive wife and mother concerned exclusively with home and family.
- Analyzes how elizabeth cady stanton and lucretia mott signed the seneca falls declaration of sentiments, one of the most important documents written in women's history.
- Explains that the seneca falls declaration of sentiments emphasized that all men and women are created equal and endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights. however, this victory was short-lived due to the newspapers printing derision articles about the convention.
- Analyzes how stanton's aggressive approach helped spread the word about the seneca falls convention and inspire hundreds of women, including susan b. anthony.
- Describes how susan b. anthony, an anti-slavery activist, joined the women's rights movement after hearing about the seneca falls convention through her parents.
- Analyzes how the suffrage efforts divided, with anthony and stanton's american equal rights association persistent campaign to amend the constitution and the american woman suffrage association implementing a new strategy.
- Explains that wyoming became the first state to allow women to vote in 1869, followed by colorado (1893), idaho and utah (1896), washington (1910), california (1911), and oregon, kansas, and arizona (1912).
- Describes how anthony collected petitions from 26 states supporting the suffrage amendment and presented them to congress, where they were mocked by the congressmen.
- Narrates how stanton became president and anthony became vice-president of the national american suffrage association. anthony continued to campaign for women's suffrage in the 1890s.
- Narrates how the national american suffrage association continued to carry on stanton and anthony's dream to campaign for women’s suffrage.
- Explains that the fight for women's suffrage began with two women, elizabeth cady stanton and lucretia mott, who wrote the seneca falls declaration of sentiments.
- Cites harper, judith e. susan b. anthony: a biographical companion.
- Cites staff, history.com, national endowment for the humanities, edsitement!, susan b. anthony house, and muesum.
1288 wordsRead More