Introduction
The 1870s-1880s, suffrage was formed to advocate for women’s voting rights and being allowed to participate in political processes. At the time, women were more conversant with their rights as human beings and seeking equal treatment with men. Therefore, they believed the right to vote would help them achieve social and political equality. To achieve this, suffrage women used strategies such as organizing rallies, campaigns, and marches to push for legislative change. With persistence and resilience, their effort led to significant progress in the fight for women’s voting rights and involvement in political processes. This essay will, therefore, discuss several strategies used by suffragist women in the 1870s-1880s, analyze the argument of the suffrage’s prominent advocates, and lastly, analyze the reasons why some women supported the notion of women’s rights and fought against gender discrimination while others sought to overturn these notions.
Suffragists in the 1870s and 1880s used strategies such as petitioning, political lobbying, demonstrations, parades, rallies, campaigns, pageants, legal actions, use of media, and civil disobedience to advocate and influence change of the Fifteenth Amendment (Soukup, 2020). Susan B. Anthony and Elisabeth Cady Stanton opposed the Fifteenth Amendment and denounced the Republican Party for failure to support women’s rights(Waldman, 2020). In 1972, Susan B. Anthony used a civil disobedience strategy; she registered and voted in New York, arguing that according to the 14th Amendment of the US Constitution, she had a right to vote (Library of Congress, n.d.). She was arrested days later.
In the 1870s-1880s, leading women’s rights advocates argued that under the Fourteenth Amendment, women had equal rights as men to vote (Pruitt, 2016). The leaders advocate for justice and equality. Women like Victoria Woodhull used legal action and diplomacy, while others like Susan B. Anthony used civil disobedience strategies. Victoria Woodhull spoke to the House of Representatives Judiciary Committee, arguing that the Fourteenth Amendment grants women the right to vote, but the committee disapproved of her point. Susan B. Anthony also argues that under the Fourteenth Amendment, she has a right to vote, whereby she registered and voted in Rochester, New York, but was later arrested and tried for disobeying the state. Both Susan and Victoria advocated for equal rights and justice through both peaceful and civil disobedience strategies, respectively.
The women’s suffrage movement was attributed to the interplay of individual beliefs, social norms, and political factors (Catt & Shuler, 2020). Not all women believed in equality for all genders. Some women were against the idea due to their personal beliefs, political interplay, and social norms. Women who upheld the traditional gender roles believed that politics were not meant for women. As a result, some suffragists sought to work with these notions of the 19th-century gender, while others sought to overturn them through gradual and incremental changes and working within the established norms. Women such as Susan B. Anthony and Elisabeth Cady Stanton openly challenged the traditional gender roles, whereas others like Carry Chapman Catt sought to work within the existing system to achieve suffrage.
Conclusion
Women have not always had the right to vote and choose the leader of their choice. Before the 1870s-1880s, women were not allowed to vote. Even with the adoption of the 15th Amendment that granted voting rights to American citizens despite their race, color, or previous servitude, women were excluded from the bracket, making it illegal for them to vote. However, women like Susan, Elisabeth, and Victoria, among others, spearheaded political justice and equality in politics for both men and women, a freedom all women are enjoying today.
References
Catt, C. C. & Shuler, N. R. (2020). Woman suffrage and politics: The inner story of the suffrage movement. Courier Dover Publications. Dover Publications.
Library of Congress. (n.d.). One Hundred Years Toward Suffrage: An Overview. Library of Congress. https://www.loc.gov/rr/print/list/076_vfw_timeline.html
Pruitt, S. (2016). 7 Things You Might Not Know About The Women’s Suffrage Movement. History. https://www.history.com/news/7-things-you-might-not-know-about-the-womens-suffrage-movement
Soukup, P. A. (2020). Woman suffrage and communication. Communication Research Trends 39 (3), 4-31.
Waldman, C. (2020). Polygamy, Free-love, and the Fight for Women’s Suffrage: The National Woman Suffrage Association and Fringe Marriage Ideology Suffragists, 1869-1890. The Macksey Journal Vol. 1, Article 20. https://www.mackseyjournal.org/publications/vol1/iss1/20
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