Women's Rights In The 1800s

“ A crusade in political education by women and for women, and for most of its existence, a crusade in search of a consistency” this quote by historian Nancy Woloch describes early suffragists efforts to take one step further to equality among men and women (Office of the Historian, 2007). The women 's suffrage movement changed the political, social and economic stance of women in The United States during the early twentieth century. Today women are one step closer to full equality of the sexes because of the women who fought for suffrage. Before this became the huge movement it was still legal for some women to vote in a few states. In Massachusetts and New York emphasis placed on owning property was the determining factor in voting rights.

This amendment allowed for many women to progress in the political and social aspects of the

Women’s rights activists gave their movement the title “the women movement”. These women wanted to expand their professions out of the house and into higher paying jobs. They spread their belief that women’s unique homemaking traits would make society more humanized. Women’s clubs through the late nineteenth century began taking a stand on public affairs. These reformers started working more outside of the house in jobs such as consumer protection and housing improvement.

In the mid-1800s, many Americans had concerns about the issues occurring and the impact they made on the United States. To put an end to these numerous issues, many Americans decided to form groups, organizations, and also individuals. They would come up with a variety of strategies to make a change. One of the many issues was women rights. In the mid-1800s, women had a hard time being a woman back then.

1849 to 1910 was an important time for America. Reforms were happening all across the board, affecting workers, African Americans, and children. It was also very crucial for women’s rights – voting rights in particular. This period saw the beginning of the women’s suffrage movement; however, it also marked the start of anti-suffrage. During this time, society was divided with one of the simplest and most complicated questions of the era: what is the proper role of women?

In the year of 1873, Susan B. Anthony had been arrested for casting an illegal vote at the last presidential election. This time period was known as the Women’s Rights Movement. Many women were beginning to acknowledge that they were treated unfairly by society’s standards against them, and had began to stand up for themselves and their fellow women. At this time, women were not allowed to vote. Most were stay-at-home mothers because men did not find them suitable for most jobs the men accommodated, and society discouraged them from even getting a real education.

After the deaths of many of the women’s rights activists from the older generation, younger leaders began to take charge, and they often aligned themselves with the Progressives. During this time, women’s roles were viewed as homemakers, so many of the Progressive women defended their reform actions as an extension of the traditional role of women. Among, the many values held for many decades by these reformers was the right to vote for women. In her piece, “Why Women Should Vote”, Jane Adams argued how women needed this right “in order to preserve the home,” (Doc C). These views developed into the ratification of the 19th Amendment in 1920, which gave women the right to vote.

Women's issues suddenly became so prominent in American culture because things were changing. People were forming new opinions and women saw an opportunity. In the 1800's transcendentalism came into the picture. Transcendentalism was an intellectual movement led by Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau (Henretta, G-13). They believed that they needed to examine individuality and self reliance closely.

Women’s suffrage is the right of women to vote in elections. During the 19th century some rights were given to women in the United states. In August of 1920 the Nineteenth Amendment became part of the constitution saying that “The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.” The first women’s right convention was the Seneca Falls Convention in 1848.

During the late 1800s, women made it clear that they wanted their equal rights. Women had no power compared to what men had. If women started looking like they had power, it was said that they started to look more masculine. Women began to fight back and attempt to reform the government. In this political cartoon, the artist shows his view of life before and after women were able to vote.

“The Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution provides that the right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex”  The 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution was passed in 1920. This granted all women the right to vote. This was a monumental achievement in women's rights. After fighting for this right for decades, this became a turning point in American history. This benefited their ability to vote and numerous opportunities in all areas of society.

During Progressive Era, there were many reforms that occurred, such as Child Labor Reform or Pure Food and Drug Act. Women Suffrage Movement was the last remarkable reform, and it was fighting about the right of women to vote, which was basically about women’s right movement. Many great leaders – Elizabeth Cad Stanton and Susan B. Anthony - formed the National American Women Suffrage Association (NAWSA). Although those influential leaders faced hardship during this movement, they never gave up and kept trying their best. This movement was occurred in New York that has a huge impact on the whole United States.

The life of Women in the late 1800s. Life for women in the 1800s began to change as they pushed for more rights and equality. Still, men were seen as better than women, this way of thinking pushed women to break out from the limitations imposed on their sex. In the early 1800s women had virtually no rights and ultimately were not seen as people but they rather seen as items of possession, it wasn’t until the late 1800s that women started to gain more rights. The Civil War actually opened opportunities for women to gain more rights, because with many of the men gone to war women were left with the responsibilities that men usually fulfilled during that time period.

Women’s Suffrage Movement If you had lived in the 1800s, would you have fought for Women’s Rights or would you have decided to be a bystander? Throughout history women have always been ruled by men. At the start of the 1800s, women would have had only one right and that was being a housewife. Although women had no rights, women later raised their voices in the Women’s Suffrage Movement.

The Victorian Era The Victorian Era, women were set to provide their husbands with a neat home, food on the table, and to raise their children. The rights for women were overly limited when it came down to losing control of their wages, physical property, and cash that they gain once they were married. The rights were given over to the spouse after getting married. It was the law that placed the husband in control of the property, earnings, including the money. In extension, Victorian wives became property to their husbands, giving them rights to what their bodies produced; children, sex and domestic labor.