Movement for Women’s Suffrage

Women’s Suffrage Movement

• Split into 2 factions over support for the 14th

Amendment

– National Women’s Suffrage Association (NWSA)

• Led by Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton (1890s)

• Opposed

– American Women Suffrage Association (AWSA)

• supported

Reunification of the Women’s Suffrage Movement:

– Occurred under the National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA)

• white middle-class women and some working-class women

• African American women experienced a lot of racism in the women’s suffrage movement in the North and in the South

• Why did African American women join a movement led by white women who were often racist?

– If they did not stay involved in the movement, then white women could have won the vote and left black women out

Early 20th century: Mainstream vs. Radicals

• Mainstreamers:

• Anna Howard Shaw and Carrie Chapman Catt:• argued that during WWI

women should work hard to support the war effort and after the war, the US will have to grant them the vote.

• Carrie Chapman Catt

Alice Paul, leader of Radicals

Alice Paul

• Argued that the campaign for suffrage should continue in spite of WWI

• Formed National Women’s Party

– Focused only on gaining the vote

• Picketed at the White House, mocked President Wilson

• Picketers were harassed and beaten by people passing by

• Neither the President nor the police provided them with any protection

• President Wilson had them arrested, July 1917 on charges of “obstructing traffic”

• ~ 168 imprisoned

• Paul led a hunger strike in prison for 5 weeks– Force fed

• Others joined, 8 died

• They were released

“Turning the Tide”

– November 1917: The state of NY gave women the right to vote

– Jan. 1918: Wilson announced that he would support an amendment (he needed women’s votes in the upcoming election). The vote to grant women suffrage narrowly passed in the House and needed a 2/3 majority in the Senate.

• June 4, 1919: The Susan B. Anthony amendment passed the Senate by one vote, and then went to the states for ratification (had to be ratified by 36 states to become law)

• After the ratification in 35 states, suffragists turned the campaign on the state of Tennessee and the 19th

amendment to the constitution was passed by one vote in Tennessee (Harry Byrd). The Amendment became law in 1920.