People Research: The Women's Suffrage Movement

The middle of the 19th Century was a time for change in the United States. The country was divided by the legality of slavery, and women were seeking a change in the way they are being treated. At this time period, women were not allowed the same rights as men and at the Seneca Falls Convention of 1848, women gathered to express their displeasure and sought ways to earn equality with me.

Over the course of the next several decades leaders in the women's suffrage movement such as Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucy Stone rallied women from around the country to get the right to vote. However, the real push for equality began at the end of the Civil War. The end of the war brought freedom and equality for the former slaves. Women however were still thought of as second class citizens without the same rights as men. For the remainder of the 19th Century and into the early 20th Century women continued to push for equality, and eventually won with the passage of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution which granted women equal rights as men.

Seneca Falls Convention of 1848

On July 19-20, 1848, women gathered for a convention to discuss the possibility of earning equal rights to men. The convention was held in Seneca Falls, NY which was a small city in central part of the state. The convention of organized by local women with the assistance of Lucretia Mott and Elizabeth Cady Stanton. During the convention, 300 attendees participated in six sessions discussing important issues of the day. From the convention, women had a clearer direction of how they wanted to proceed in gaining their equality, and became the starting point of the women's suffrage movement.

Women's Suffrage

Women's Suffrage is the movement for women to gain the right to vote and to run for political office. For the majority of the time since the American Revolution women did not have the same rights as men. The women that sought equality were known as suffragists. The suffragists were looking for equality with men in the ability to vote, run for office in an election, owning property and running businesses. The Women's Suffrage movement in the United States continued until 1920 when the 19th Amendment to the Constitution was adopted.

Susan B Anthony

Born Feb. 15, 1820, Susan B Anthony was one of the leading forces in the Women's Suffrage movement. She, along with Elizabeth Cady Stanton, became the founder of the first Women's Temperance Movement in the United States. During the late 1800's Anthony was one of the driving forces in forcing the government to give women equal rights to men. Unfortunately, Anthony died in 1906 and never had the opportunity to see her work come to an ending. However, the work of Susan B. Anthony has been remembered in history.

Elizabeth Cady Stanton

Stanton, born in 1815, was one of the driving forces in the women's suffrage movement and helped organize the organizations which helped women gather together and work towards the common goal of equality. Stanton was one of the organizers of the Seneca Falls Convention which was the first gathering of the women's rights movement. During the late 1800's, Stanton was a strong political force advocating women's equality and the right to vote. Stanton passed away in 1902, and was not able to see her women's rights work come to a fitting conclusion.

Lucy Stone

Born in 1818, Lucy Stone was one of the early driving forces in the women's rights movement. Stone was the first women in Massachusetts to earn a college degree. Stone was a vocal supporter of women's rights and was also the first known woman to keep her maiden name after marriage. She helped organize the first women's rights conventions and worked towards gaining equal rights for women up to her death in 1893.

Sojourner Truth

Sojourner Truth was born in 1797 into slavery. She escaped to freedom in 1826. Upon her gaining freedom, Truth became a featured speaker at many women's rights conventions and gatherings. During the mid-1800's, Truth was also an advocate of freedom for slaves, and continued to work for equality for all after the Civil War. For her efforts, Sojourner Truth was chosen for the National Women's Hall of Fame. Truth passed away in 1883, but her efforts for equality for all will be never forgotten.

19th Amendment to the Constitution

During the mid-1800's and early 1900's, women rallied to gain equality in jobs, voting, property ownership and other areas, where they were viewed differently than men. The political pressure that women laid on men and the government was substantial and pressure to find an answer intensified. In 1920, after years of hard work, the United States Government signed into effect the 19th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. This amendment granted equal rights for women. Finally after decades of work in attaining equality, the fight was over, and equality was achieved.
