The Suffrage Movement Analysis

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The suffrage movement of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, began with the Seneca Falls Convention in 1848 during which early suffrage leaders including Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony proposed the Declaration of Sentiments, a document stating the rights that women demanded (4).Women argued that they deserved to vote as it was a basic right that everyone should be guaranteed as an American citizen (5). Considering that women must obey the same laws and pay the very same taxes as men, it was necessary that they receive a voice in these laws (5). In the coming years following the convention, the women’s rights movement lacked both activity and support; therefore, to become more effective the two largest organizations, The American Woman Suffrage Association and The National Woman Suffrage Association, chose to combine (1,3). Establishing The National American Woman Suffrage Association, with Stanton and Anthony as the leaders, was critical for the eventual attainment of women’s suffrage (1).

In 1892 Stanton decided to ultimately resign from her presidency of NAWSA giving way for Anthony to establish control until she too resigned in 1900 (1). The turn of the century brought many changes in the women’s suffrage movement, for the NAWSA was now under the newfound leadership of Carrie Chapman Catt (2,5). Upon Catt’s induction into the presidency, only four states, Wyoming, Utah, Colorado, and Idaho, had achieved full suffrage (1). The new leaders determined that to further their successes, they needed to change their tactics, using the working woman as one of their main arguments versus the Declaration of Independence (1). Low wages and poor working conditions drove groups of working women to more militant tactics, l...

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...Initially the amendment was defeated; however, the amendment did pass on June 4, 1919 with Tennessee as the deciding vote (1).

Works Cited

"American Experience: TV's Most-watched History Series." PBS. PBS, n.d. Web. 09 Feb. 2014.

"Carrie Chapman Catt Biography." Bio.com. A&E Networks Television, n.d. Web. 09 Feb. 2014.

Kauffman, Heather. “Woman Suffrage.” Issues & Controversies in American History. Infobase Publishing, 1 Oct. 2005. Web. 10 Feb. 2014.

"A United Women's Movement and the Right to Vote." Women in America. Woodbridge, CT: Primary Source Media, 1999. American Journey. U.S. History in Context. Web. 7 Feb. 2014.

"Votes for Women: Carrie Chapman Catt." Votes for Women: Carrie Chapman Catt. N.p., 18 Oct. 1998. Web. 05 Feb. 2014.

"The Women's Rights Movement, 1848–1920." The Women's Rights Movement, 1848-1920. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Feb. 2014.

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