The view that the reason for main women achieving the vote in 1918 was due to the hard work of women during World War One is highly valid. This view is supported by many historians such as Phillips and Bartley. On the other hand, there are other factors that also contributed to women achieving the vote; changing attitudes of society, politics and the campaigns of the suffragists. Changing societal views is supported by Pugh and Bruley, whereas, Joanou and Purvis show that politics hold conflicting values as they either support women’s vote or are in for the vote to salvage their image. Whilst campaigns of suffragists hold the view of ‘Germany was portrayed as the powerful male aggressor, Belgium and Britain as the vulnerable female victims
The Role of Women in the Antebellum South The distinction between men and women in the Antebellum-era Southern United States can be identified in the roles that each gender was expected to fulfill as parents, spouses and citizens. While young men and women alike were encouraged to marry and immediately start a family, females were primarily given the task of caring for their children and husband. Because they were viewed as the ‘morally superior gender’, women were supposed to raise the next generation of obedient citizens, while men were free to pursue a career and get involved in politics. As a result, a movement arose to expand the rights and freedoms of women, with the ultimate goal of creating a society where equal opportunities are
In the Progressive Era, ‘women reformers did not have faith in the traditional biased government. The women reform group adopted new political techniques. There techniques included marching, and demonstrating as unbiased pressure groups’. (Goldfield, ed., The American Journey: A History of the United State, pgs.
Women had to endure many negative attitudes towards them during the Women’s Suffrage Movement. For example, men thought that women should take care of the children. One man who thought this was Senator Leighton. He was always expecting his wife Emily Leighton to watch the children all day, everyday without a break for herself. They thought that the women were their little slaves while they went off to have a great day with their acquaintances.
She fought for something that she strongly believed in. Although many women in the women’s suffrage movement told her vote for the war because if she didn’t then people would deem women in this movement and “unpatriotic”. However Alice Paul of the Woman’s Party encouraged her to vote “for peace”. Rankin decided to vote no with forty-eight other members. Before this Rankin was heavily involved in the women’s rights movement.
He even took it as far as losing his seat in parliament to stand by his views. Similar to Mill, Emmeline Pankhurst was also a women’s rights activist. She realized that men were so empowered because of what they were allowed to have, such as an education, and it put men above women. She fought to change that, and fought for women’s rights. Most men in parliament thought that women would not comprehend how it operated, so they should not take part in it.
Women’s suffrage Have you ever thought about women 's rights and equality? It’s not as pretty or memorable as you think it is. But just like Shirley Chisholm said “at present, our country need’s womens idealism and determination, perhaps more in politics than anywhere else.” Which is true but back then it certainly wasn’t. Let me take you way back to when women and men were not equal, and when men had more power over women.
In “The Destructive Male” by Elizabeth Cady Stanton, rhetoric is employed to persuade the reader or listeners to acknowledge and grant women equal rights. Stanton also creates a tone of zealous outrage and accusation with her use of literary devices such as alliteration and personification. Shortly after the United States Civil War, Elizabeth Cady Stanton delivered her speech at the Women’s Suffrage Convention in 1868 (Bjornlund). Stanton had to appeal to the crowd of men and women, conservatives and liberals, and even government officials by showing how women benefit the world and deserve to have the same opportunities as men to make a difference and have the freedom to vote.
Because of sexist opinions of the time, many people believed that a woman had no power to create change, especially in government since she could not vote. Women themselves believed this societal expectation, and although Grimke does not reject society’s idea of femininity and womanhood entirely, she specifically rejects their supposed political incompetence in a rebuttal. Using evidence from general and specific political movements in England, all of which were greatly aided by the support of women petitioning the government, Grimke assured her audience that “When the women of these States send up to Congress such a petition our legislators will arise, as did those of England, and say: ‘When all the maids and matrons of the land are knocking at our doors we must legislate.’” (Grimke, 192) This summary of her somewhat vague past points is similarly nonspecific; however, this is still effective since simply alluding to historical events rather than explaining them was sufficient for an audience that knew more about England and its history than contemporary Americans do today.
It was an enormous social change for women to take part in public decision making, and gave them a voice to abolish unjust laws. The suffragettes in Australia argued that they were intelligent enough to vote, that it was unfair for them to be taxed without representation, and that they were equal to men therefore should have equal rights. In contrary, the suffragettes’ opponents alleged that women already had indirect power through manipulating their husbands and father’s voting choices at the ballot box, that women were equal but different and that women could not fulfil the duties of citizenship therefore should not vote. The suffragettes encouraged people to sign their petition, as well as held meeting and debates in order to gain supporters. Women in Australia used civil methods of protest, and didn’t adapt the more radical methods used by suffragettes in other countries.
Both working class and wealthy women joined together to rally and champion for union leagues, such as the Women’s Trade Union League specifically mentioned in Triangle. Leagues such as this one were fueled by the anger and injustice factory women felt toward their employers. One such worker was Clara Lemlich, a young factory worker who was “a model of a new sort of woman, hungry for opportunity and education and even equality; willing to fight the battles and pay the price to achieve it (7).” In the world Clara lived in, “men had the vote; men owned the shops…men ran the unions and political parties (7)” and she and her comrades wanted to change all of that. They knew that if they wanted to achieve change, they would have to do themselves, because male factory workers, even though they faced the same trials, often saw these women as a threat and police officers almost always sided with factory owners (12).
Mary Wollstonecraft is a key figure in the early beginnings of the women’s rights movement. Wollstonecraft, born in 1759, in London, England, experienced firsthand the inequality and oppression expressed towards women during this time. Throughout her life, she fought against her odds and worked to create equality between genders. In her most well-known work, A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, published in 1792, Wollstonecraft argues a simple point: women should be as educated as men and be treated with the same respect. Her arguments are straightforward and understandable, which is why they have made such a huge difference in the way women have been viewed and treated.
Women in England during the 1800s faced restrictions to participate in movements and were limited in their political speaking and voting capabilities. Although many women accepted their fate, some fought for a different social role. (“The Women 's Rights Movement”) Women such Mary Wollstonecraft, Jane Austen, and Mary Shelley inspired a new way of radical thinking towards human rights, specifically the rights of women (Surgis). Thanks to these inspiring individuals, there was a change in women’s attitude regarding their options to become part of the work force, gain an education, and have equal rights in marriage (Surgis).
Thank you, Millicent Fawcett, for giving me the opportunity to speak on behalf of the National Union of Women 's Suffrage Societies which Millicent leads with grace and dignity. Some of you may know me and some of you may not, but I am Clementine Forest one of 3000 women suffragists who has marched here today, the largest march ever occurred, for the cause of women 's suffrage. I am here to represent and express the importance of women receiving the right to vote. Unfortunately, the London weather wasn 't on our side with the presence of heavy rain throughout our march from Hyde Park to Exter Hall, but this reinforces that nothing will stop women from protesting their right to vote. As you know we have been gathered together as one, today on February 9th, 1907, the day in which Parliament is open once again for the coming year.
In the speech "Freedom or Death" (1913), Emmeline Pankhurst expresses the need for resistance towards American and British Governments as a result of the state 's denial of women 's voting rights. She describes the suffragist movement 's efforts of civil disobedience as a result of gender inequality and the urgent need to fight for women 's rights as human rights. In the speech, she discusses the significance of the term ‘militant’, an attribute suffrage women were given based on their radical actions during this time. Suffrage women were described as militant due to their confrontational reactions and support for women’s rights which was sometimes perceived to be an unfavourable political cause. Many at this time, negatively applied the term ‘militant’ to the suffrages.