Women Suffrage

It took about eighty-two years until women earned the right to vote. People viewed women as citizens, but only when it came to certain aspects. One of these aspects did not include the right to vote. The right to vote was for landowners and eventually more men gained the right to vote. Women were looked at as inferior. The women's movement, which had started in the 1840s with the Seneca Falls Convention, took a couple of steps backward because of the abolitionist movement during the American Civil War. During the civil war women began to take more a male role. However, after the war was over women thought they were in a good position to gain suffrage due to their war work and the attention being paid to equal rights at the time. The Republicans in power believed that women's suffrage would hurt their chances to push forth rights for freed slaves because of the widespread unpopularity of women's rights. After the war, Susan B. Anthony formed the National Woman's Suffrage Association and Lucy Stone and Julia Ward Howe forming the American Woman's Suffrage Association. The NWSA did not support the passing of the 15th amendment because the amendment did not address the giving of equal rights to women as well as blacks and fought against the passing of the amendment as a result. The AWSA supported the 15th amendment and wanted to fight for women's rights in the states separately. In the early 20th century, Women's suffrage became more popular because of the positive work that women progressives like Jane Adams did in helping children and prohibition. During WWI they impressed President Wilson their contribution and Wilson began to support suffrage for Women. Finally, the ratification of the 19th amendment was passed in 1920, but this didn't come easy. Congress tried to pass this in 1915 but the bill was lost and shelved for almost 3 years. President Wilson publicized an appeal and the bill was finally passed. The effects of the 19th amendment changed the view of women. Women would now hold public office and more advocate polices exist in the workplace and general life.

There are many similarities between women's struggle for the right to vote and the struggle of African Americans. There were also important differences. Women were seen as property of their husbands. Most people viewed African Americans as property because they were slaves. . Many African American Women were part of the women suffrage movement, just like how white women had been a significant part of the abolitionist movement. There were also big differences. Africans Americans were uneducated, so literacy test were passed to keep blacks from voting. Women also had money unlike blacks. Because blacks didn't have money they passed poll taxes to restrict blacks from voting. African Americans didn't really have to work for a constitutional amendment. To vote as it was part of the package of rights that were granted to them

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