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Students learn about the long struggle for women's right to vote and the passage of the 19th Amendment.
Imagine being a citizen who pays taxes and obeys laws, but has zero voice in choosing the leaders who make those laws. For over 70 years, American women fought a 'silent war' for the right to vote—how did they finally win?
The organized movement for woman suffrage (the right to vote) began in 1848 at the Seneca Falls Convention. For decades, the movement was led by figures like Susan B. Anthony. Her strategy was focused on 'state-by-state' progress. She believed that if enough individual states granted women the vote, the federal government would eventually follow. Anthony was so committed that she was arrested in 1872 for 'illegally' casting a ballot. She argued that the 14th Amendment already gave her the right as a citizen, but the courts disagreed. By the turn of the century, only a handful of Western states, like Wyoming and Colorado, allowed women to vote in all elections.
To pass a Constitutional Amendment, you need of both houses of Congress and of the states to agree. 1. In 1890, only 1 state allowed women to vote. 2. By 1912, that number grew to 9 states. 3. Suffragists realized that at this rate, it would take over 100 years to reach the requirement ( states at the time) without a change in strategy.
Quick Check
What was Susan B. Anthony's primary strategy for gaining voting rights?
Answer
A state-by-state approach, convincing individual states to change their laws first.
By 1913, a new generation of suffragists felt the movement had stalled. Alice Paul, a young activist influenced by British suffragettes, broke away to form the National Woman's Party (NWP). Unlike the older generation, Paul used militant tactics to demand a federal amendment. Her supporters were the first to ever picket the White House, standing silently with banners that called President Woodrow Wilson 'Kaiser Wilson.' When they were arrested, they went on hunger strikes in prison to protest their treatment. These high-profile actions turned public opinion by highlighting the government's harsh response to women demanding basic democratic rights.
Consider two different ways to change a school rule: 1. The Anthony Method: Meeting with individual teachers one-by-one to convince them to change the rule in their specific classrooms. 2. The Paul Method: Organizing a massive, silent protest in the main hallway during a parent-teacher night to force the Principal to change the rule for the whole school immediately.
Quick Check
How did Alice Paul's tactics differ from Susan B. Anthony's?
Answer
Paul used militant, direct-action tactics like picketing the White House and hunger strikes to demand a federal amendment immediately.
The combined pressure of the state-by-state successes and the national outcry over Alice Paul’s treatment finally moved the needle. In 1919, Congress passed the 19th Amendment. It was ratified on August 18, 1920, when Tennessee became the 36th state to approve it. The amendment states: '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.' This was a landmark victory for democratic ideals, nearly doubling the number of eligible voters in the country. However, it is a critical historical note that many women of color still faced racial barriers like poll taxes and literacy tests for decades to follow.
Before 1920, the 'consent of the governed' only applied to roughly of the adult population. 1. Total adult population 2. Voters before 1920 3. Voters after 1920 (theoretically) By removing the gender barrier, the U.S. moved closer to the ideal of universal suffrage, though the struggle for racial equality in voting would continue until the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
Which leader was known for her 'militant' tactics and founding the National Woman's Party?
The 19th Amendment was ratified in which year?
The 19th Amendment immediately ensured that all women of color could vote without any further obstacles.
Review Tomorrow
In 24 hours, try to explain to a friend the difference between the 'state-by-state' strategy and the 'federal amendment' strategy.
Practice Activity
Look up the 'Silent Sentinels' and find one specific banner message they used to protest outside the White House.