Womens Reform Movement in Early American History - Essay Example

WOMEN’S REFORM MOVEMENT IN EARLY AMERICAN HISTORY The era of reform for women’s suffrage s back to 1840 and ended in 1920. It has started with a group of women who moved for the abolishment of slavery of Negro slaves. Called as abolitionists, they demanded the freedom for the slaves and their absorption into American life. This movement has captured the American Society into demands for anti slavery, and due to its persistence has led into the enactment of the Fugitive Slave Law which put to stop the activities of the Underground Railroad and solidified anti slavery opinion in the north1 Source: Flexner, Eleanor The abolitionist movement gave the women encouragement to pursue further other intentions, and they learned to organize, hold meetings, make public speaking, conduct petition campaign, and for the first time also, they have evolved into a philosophical idea that women have their place in the society and have claims for their basic rights. Thus from slavery, they have shifted to the idealism of morals, to social and political rights for the people and got courageous to speak against “ the injustices of their day”. Shown in photo is a group of early women suffragettes staging their appeal for women rights to suffrage.2 Movement for Suffrage of women continued and in 1647, the first incident to claim of women suffrage was done by Margaret Brent, an Executrix of Gov. Leonard Calvert’s will who demanded her right to a place and “voice in the Maryland Assembly’, but her demand was not successful. Selective suffrage was seen in 1692 when the right to vote was given to women who own properties in Massachusetts. Suffrage movement created quite a success when in New Jersey, an interpretation of the word ”he” or “she” gave temporary suffrage to women in 1692 to 1729. Seventy eight years after, this temporary women suffrage status was put to an end in 1807 when a legislature had limited the suffrage vote to white male citizen only.3 On account of this, women movements staged protests, and now they were called as suffragettes, replacing the word abolitionists. In 1900s, suffragettes, who campaigned for women’s rights were said to be resented, however, they were treated gently by authorities when arrested themfor their crimes .4 A chronicle of events will be presented to show how suffrage and other women’s rights was won that took long period of years During these years several personages took charge of the movement until it finally reached the US Constitution stage. A book entitled Women in the 19th Century” written by Margate Fuller had made an influence on women’s movement., such that on the 19th and 20th of July, in a meeting held at Seneca Falls, a Declaration of Principles, shaped after the “American Declaration of Independence was done. Signed by 68 women and 32 men, this declaration states: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men and women are created equal….The history of mankind created equal…the history of mankind is history of repeated injuries an usurpations on the part of man toward woman, having a direct object the establishment of an absolute tyranny over her.” 5 Succeeding conventions were held pursuing the pattern of women’s right to suffrage. And in 1850, the first national convention was held, and this was followed by other conventions in other states. Personages and leaders appeared in 1852, and this was a joint effort of Elizabeth Cady Staton and Susan B. Anthony who dedicated 50 years in their life in pursuit of this intention. Meanwhile, holding conventions in other states continued with the objectives of amending the state’s constitution towards recognition of educational and legislative programs and recognition of women’s right to vote. In the following years, two associations were formed, each having an objective of obtaining women suffrage. First was formed on May 15, 1860 whose leaders were Elizabeth Candy Staton and Susan Anthony under the banner of National Women Suffrage Association, and then in 1869, the American Women Suffrage Association was established led by Susan Stone and Julia Ward Howe The two associations had two different views, in that Julia Wart while professing for women suffrage, also defended for black suffrage at the same time, and has accepted men as members. Elizabeth Cady Stanton, on the other hand explicitly defined it as working for an amendment that calls for all female right to suffrage 6 On account of the long years of fighting for the women suffrage rights, a new leaders took place, as four of its leaders died without seeing the fruit of their labor. These leaders were the early founders of the movement, Lucrecia Mott who died in 1880, followed by Lucy Stone in 1893, Elizabeth Cady Stone in 1893, and her fried Susan Anthony in 1907. To put down in record the history of their movement, Susan Anthony published three volumes of their activities in order to gather sympathy and votes. Finding that separate associations would weaken the strength of the movement, the two associations in 1890 combined forces and assumed the name of the National American Women Suffrage Association, and had its first suffrage victory in Wyoming. Wyoming had been the first state that provided in its constitution the right of women to vote. This success was followed by other states in the following years, such as in 1917 the movement was accepted in Arkansas, followed by Texas in the following year. 7 However, it was seen that the only way to gain full women suffrage for the whole of the nation would require amendments to the United States Constitution, and that this would require a longer and tedious process that the women reformists had to face.8 To bring the cause of the movement to the attention of Congress, the unified women’s movement made new tactics to promote their objectives. In 1913 to 1915, the unified women’s movement staged large marches and parades. Finally, the press took note of the movement when in 1915, a group led by Mabel Vermon and Sarah Bard Field and others emphasized their cause by traveling in all over the nation by car to let everybody witness the half a million signatures of women and encourage others to participate in the petition of women suffrage to Congress. Other movements were also motivated to active leadership pursuing women suffrage, while others, like the Women’s Trade Union League, and the National Consumer’s League worked for other reforms, such as health reforms, prison reforms, and child labor law reform.9 Other causes of women in joining reform movement were seen as towards improvement in education; prison reforms, beliefs that “drunken husbands pulled families into poverty”, and agrarian and labor reforms10. Help from the Senate came from Senator Aaron Sargent of California, in 1878, which sponsored the amendment, stating that: “the right of citizens of the US to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the US or any state on account of sex.” 11 The bill it turned out, had to pass thru the eye of a needle because it faced a crucial defeat for three times, when presented to the Senate on account of falling short of the required two-thirds vote of the majority. It took 42 years of patient struggle before the amendment to the US constitution took place. On January 26, 1920, after the World War I, wherein the women played an active role, the right of women to suffrage was finally recognized and amended to the United States Constitution. 12 Discussion Women’s rights have gone a long way, a woman, from just being a second fiddle to man and to husband; she has now gained both civil and human rights. Women has been recognized in various fields, as there are now women leaders in Congress, heads of state, and even Presidents of nations. All of these are owed to the pioneering ladies who painstakingly devoted years of their lives to pursue the objective of the right to suffrage. The right to suffrage has opened other areas for development in terms of economics, education and religion. BIBLIOGRAPHY Dametz, Claudia. “Women in Reform Movements – Fighting for the Votes”. WIC- Women’s History in America, 1995. Retrieved 30 Jun.2007 from http://www.wic.org/misc/history.htm Douglas, Mary. “ Jobs at Work”. Man in Society. Doubleday & Company, Inc. Garden City, New York. 1964 Encyclopedia Americana. 1966. S.v. “Women’s Suffrage” Flexner, Eleanor. “History of Woman’s Suffrage in America”. History Channel Exhibits Woman Suffrage. 2006. Retrieved 30 Jun. 2007 from http://www.history.com/exhibits/woman/main.htm. Grolier’s Universal Encyclopedia. 1965. S.v. “Abolitionists”. Lewitt, Johnson J. “The Long Road to Suffrage”. 2001. in About.Com:Women’s History. Retrieved 30 Jun. 2007 from http://women’shistory.about.com/library/weekly/aa022299 Read More