I ask this not from a political standpoint, but from a historical standpoint. Yesterday, Wednesday, August 26 marked the 100th Anniversary of the passage of the 19th Amendment. The Amendment which gave women the right to vote in this country.
Here’s the link to the History Channel’s video on the Women’s Suffrage Movement with lots of links to other stories. I hope you’ll find time to check it out.
https://www.history.com/news/7-things-you-might-not-know-about-the-womens-suffrage-movement
Wednesday, the first statue of women was unveiled in Central Park in New York City. Before that, no statues of women existed in the park. It’s like we’ve been invisible. The women depicted are Sojourner Truth, Susan B. Anthony, and Elizabeth Cady Stanton.
I thought I knew quite a lot about the movement because I wrote a big paper in college on Anthony.
However, I didn’t realize the differences in the movements in America and Great Britain. For instance in referring to these brave women, I’ve always used the term “suffragettes.” Well, that’s accurate for the British ladies, but those in the US were termed “suffragists.” The second word was somehow thought to be less strident and less offensive. You can check out my friend Helena Fairfax’s book STRUGGLE AND SUFFRAGE IN HALLIFAX for more details. Helena did great research. After reading her book, you will never complain about your life again. 🙂
The abolitionist movement and women’s movement were separate to begin with and then came together and then separated again. The breakup came over the 15th Amendment. The women suffragist Susan B. and Elizabeth Cady Stanton refused to support that amendment because it left out women, despite Frederick Douglas’s support for women’s right to vote. This forced a split between the groups. Separate Black Women Clubs also formed.
Wyoming was the first state to grant the vote to women. Montana sent the first woman to Congress before she could even vote in her state, which is what the banner below references.
Bettmann Archive/Getty Images from the History Channel site
Despite the passage of the 15th and 19th Amendments people were kept from voting by things like poll taxes and intimidation. Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.” I think we can see that in these two movements. First black men got the vote, then women, and then our Native American population. It wasn’t until 1965 with the signing of the Voting Rights Act that all citizen’s votes were assured of their right to vote. Which again today seems to be in jeopardy.
Marsha R. West, Author 
Yes I am and I have voted in every Presidential election since I was 18.
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Hey, Debbie. Good for you. I remember going with my parents to vote and we always took our kids with us when they were young. You can’t start too early to instill respect for that responsibility. Thanks so much for stopping by. 🙂
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Absolutely love this blog post. I don’t think people today appreciate the sacrifices made by these determined, dedicated women. Most were supported by their families, but how hard it would be to see your mother or daughter go through the belittling, beating and jail time many endured to get our right to vote. Yes, we have an obligation and duty to vote as citizens but also to honor our sisters who fought for us.
JQ Rose
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Hey, JQ. Appreciate your kind words. I’m afraid I’ve been guilty of taking this right for granted. This anniversary in today’s world has really made me rethink it. The History Chanel has great resources. I love your wording “to honor our sisters who fought for us.” Yes, indeed. I hope folks will check out our friend Helena’s book, too. Thanks for stopping by. 🙂
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I am disappointed that one of the female candidates isn’t at the top of the ticket. I could have supported Warren, Harris, or Klobuchar. As far as I’m concerned, we don’t need another old white guy. Let’s give a woman the chance to right the sinking ship.
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Hey, Pete. I understand what you’re saying. We were blessed to have a lot of great candidates. Many of whom are women. Eventually, I hope we get to the point we look at the best candidate regardless of gender and race. We’re not there, but we’re making progress. At this point, it’s time to circle the wagons and get the job done. IMHO 🙂 Thanks for stopping by.
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No argument there. I can’t take four more years of dysfunction.
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Thanks for this interesting post and thanks very much for mentioning my social history.
Exercising the right to vote is one of the few ways citizens in a democracy have to effect change. It’s still a complete mystery to me why half the population of our countries was denied the vote for so long.
One of the other ways we can effect change is protest. Both our countries supposedly have freedom of speech and the right to protest. The difference between the suffragettes and the suffragists is that the suffragists in general preferred peaceful protest – eg refusing to pay taxes – rather than the sometimes violent means used by the suffragettes. Looking back on the UK’s history, it’s understandable why women felt driven to violent protest Their voices had gone unheard for decades, and this was a final resort. This is a lesson governments still need to learn – to listen to the voices of those without power when they speak and to treat all citizens equally.
Writing my history of women’s lives was an eye-opener. It made me realise that ordinary people can make a difference.
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Hey, Helena. I’m glad you found the post. I meant to send you a heads up and forgot. Your welcome. I felt your message was right for our times and was happy to spotlight your book. I so love your words to our governmental leaders. “listen to the voices of those without power when they speak and to treat all citizens equally.” One wouldn’t think we’d still be having these discussions. There is a lot of hatred in the hearts of many. And fear because they only way they can feel okay about themselves is to put others down. We surely need way more mental health resources. Thanks for writing your book and thanks for stopping by. 🙂
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