Progressive Era Suffrage Movement
Predecessors to 1900s Feminism
Abigail Adams
Abigail Adams • 1744-1818 • Wife to President John Adams • Urged her husband to “Remember the Ladies” when he was forming the new United States • See letters
Most women were not given formal educations nor allowed to have professional jobs.
Emma Willard • 1787-1870 • Operated in the “realm of domesticity” • Asks state of New York for public money to educate girls
Emma Willard School (1821)Still an all girl’s secondary boarding school. Tuition (inc. room and board)- $33,750
Education is on the rise. The main professional job is teaching, although education is still dominated by men.
The fight for equal rights begins with the fight against slavery (abolitionism)
Sara Grimke • 1792-1873 • Daughter of slave-holding judge • Father believed in the subordination and no education of women • Well-educated abolitionist • Becomes a Quaker
Angelina Grimke • 1805-1879 • Sara’s sister • Becomes a strong abolitionist and Quaker • Lectures and publishes letters condeming slavery • Opened a school with her sister
Grimke sisters were harassed and criticized because they dared to voice their opinions in public with men in the audience (considered to be “promiscuous”).
Lucretia Mott • 1793-1880 • From a Quaker family • Abolitionist • A teacher who discovered men were paid twice as much as women • Leader of women’s right movement • Helped establish Seneca Falls Convention
Lucy Stone
Lucy Stone • 1818-1893 • Father against education for women • Graduated from Oberlin College 1847 • Lectured against slavery • Helped organize American Woman Suffrage Organization
Many women who fought early on for women’s rights had supportive husbands who also believed in equality between the sexes. Is there a connection between the men these women married and their accomplishments?
Elizabeth Cady Stanton
Stanton: powerful women’s rights leader. • 1815-1902 • Quaker teacher and abolitionist • Force behind Seneca Falls Convention • Wrote “Declaration of Sentiments • Later fought for women suffrage
Susan B. Anthony • 1820-1906 • Quaker abolitionist (although criticized for racist writings) • She never married • Worked on Seneca Falls Convention • Was arrested for trying to vote in 1872 with the passage of the 15th Amendment
Inseparable Pair- Stanton and Anthony • Seneca Falls Convention- July 19-20, 1848 • To convince others for more women’s rights • Formed the National Women Suffrage Association
Women’s Christian Temperance Movement • Organized in 1874 • Believed alcohol was the cause of problems with society and families • Would march to saloons and sing hyms • Acceptable political activity for women to be involved • Eventually endorsed women’s suffrage
Progressive Suffragetts
Anna Shaw • 1847-1919 • Immigrated from England 1851 • Methodist minister (first woman) • doctor • Joined WCTU • Pres. National American Women Suffrage Organization
Shaw’s short teaching career • Began teaching at 15 years old • Worked 5 miles from home • Roomed with student’s family • Paid $2 a week for teaching • Was paid at the end of the year • Enrolled in a high school after one year
Jane Addams • 1860-1935 • Graduated from Rockford College • Founded Settlement House Movement (Hull House) • Worked for Women’s Suffrage
Jane Addams Cont. • Against World War I • Helped found NAACP • 1931 Received Nobel Peace Prize (1st American Woman)
Florence Kelley • 1859-1932 • PhD Sociology (University of Zurich) • Beaten by husband until she escaped to Hull House where she began working • Organized boycotts of sweatshop products • Worked for child labor laws and women’s suffrage • Helped organize NAACP
Carrie Chapman Catt • 1859-1947 • Graduated from Iowa State College 1880 • National American Women Suffrage Organization • 1st pres. League of Women Voters
Alice Paul • 1885-1977 • Another Quaker • Part of NAWSO but split and began Congressional Union for Women Suffrage • Coordinated many marches for suffrage
Suffragettes March for Votes
Some states allow women the right to vote. • Wyoming, Montana • Why Western, under-populated states first?
Jeanette Rankin • First female U.S. House of Representative • From Montana • 1916
Votes for Women Granted 1919! 19th amendment
