Progressive Women

Suffrage and Reform Campaigns

Today’s Objective

After today’s lesson, students will be able to… Discuss the reforms movements of progressive women Explain the process of women’s suffrage and the

associated fears felt by anti-suffragists

Essential Skill: Explicitly assess information and draw conclusions

Gender Stereotypes

What are the stereotypes of women and men?

Write them on the board!

Be prepared to discuss

Women’s Movement

Educated, Middle-Class Women Formed a “Grass Roots”

Movement Lobbied Legislators, Held Rallies

and Parades, Distributed Literature

Reform Campaigns

Child labor

Working conditions

Poverty

Civil rights

Temperance (Prohibition)

Education

Abortion/birth control

SUFFRAGE

Struggle for Suffrage

Organized movement started in 1848 at Seneca Falls, NY

Disrupted by Civil War Divided over support for 15th

Amendment

Early Leaders

Susan B. Anthony Founder and president of National Woman Suffrage Association

(NWSA)

Elizabeth Cady Stanton Important member of NWSA

“Women deserve to vote because they are equal in all capacities to men

Difference between National Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA) and American Woman Suffrage Association (AWSA)?

Voting Out West

NAWSA

National American Woman Suffrage Association Merger of NWSA and AWSA

Largest organization working form women’s suffrage

Carrie Chapman Catt Assumed presidency in 1900

Focused on women’s “unique role”

Developed “Winning Plan” Grassroots effort with many state rallies

Supported by white, native-born, middle-class women

Alice Paul Leader of the National Women’s Party (NWP)

Established due to disagreements with NAWSA

NWP pushed more for constitutional amendment

Influenced by more militant suffragettes in Britain

Intended to shame President Wilson in any way possible for not allowing women to vote Picketing outside of White House

Anti-Suffragists

National Association Opposed to Woman Suffrage (NAOWS)

What were the arguments?

Josephine Dodge President of NAOWS

19th Amendment

Ratified in 1920

“Right to vote shall not be denied or abridged on account of sex”

Other early 20th Century Reformers Margaret Sanger- crusade for birth control

Florence Kelly- child labor protection, National Consumer’s League

Carrie Nation- Temperance movement to ban alcohol- Women’s Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) organized in 1874

Other early 20th Century Reformers Jane Addams – Settlement House

Ida B. Wells-Barnett—anti-lynching

Charlotte Perkins Gillman – economics; women’s discrimination is due to inequality in the workplace

Concluding Discussion

How equal is the workplace today?

What are some solutions to help women in the workplace?

Should women be allowed to participate in all jobs that men participate?

Are men or women better at certain domestic tasks?