Women’s Rights:
Should Women Have the Right
to Vote?
Mrs. Patton – Social Studies 8
Jamesville-DeWitt Middle School
Jamesville, NY 13078
Introduction:
With the passage of the 15th Amendment, in 1870, freedmen were grated the right to vote. Suffrage (the right to vote) was not to be denied because of race. However, women in most areas of the United States were not given the same protection.
The passage of this Amendment to the US Constitution spurred many activists to increase their work on the women’s rights issue. Although many Americans favored the idea of women’s rights, many others were against it.
Task:
With a partner, your task is to create a pamphlet that either supports or opposes the idea of women’s suffrage around the turn of the 20th century. Use the following resources to learn more about the arguments for and against women’s suffrage that were made in the time after the civil war and leading up to the passage of the 19th Amendment which granted the right to vote regardless of gender.
Use the Policy Process decision to assess the options and decide which side you would have fallen on, had you lived in or around 1900. Then, create a pamphlet to convince others to believe as you do. Your pamphlet will be graded according to the rubric found below.
Process:
In order to successfully analyze the issue at hand and create a convincing pamphlet, you are asked to follow the American History Public Policy Analysis process. Steps (and links to directions and further information) are listed below:
Step 1: Identify the problem.
Step 2: Gather evidence about the issue.
Step 3: Determine the causes behind the Women’s Rights movement and its opposition.
Step 4: Choose a side, and evaluate that position. Was the passage of the 19th Amendment favorable, or should that right have remained limited?
Resources:
Use the following websites to assist in your research:
Seneca Falls Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions – Document produced at the Seneca Falls Convention, which is often considered the birth of the Women’s Rights movement.
Women’s Suffrage – Basic information on the Women’s Suffrage movement.
The Fight for Women’s Suffrage – History.com information on the movement.
Arguments Against Women’s Suffrage – Both historical and modern arguments that oppose the idea of suffrage for women.
Women’s Suffrage (Spartacus Educational) – Arguments supporting the idea of Women’s Suffrage.
Primary Source – 14 Reasons for Supporting Women’s Suffrage – Read through this source to find out the radical reasons.
Pro- and Anti-Suffrage Arguments – Read through the activities on this site to determine your own opinion.
Evaluation:
Your pamphlet should be well organized, contain correct information, and be eye-catching. Remember, you are trying to sway voters and other interested parties to believe your point of view and either support or oppose women’s suffrage. Also remember, you are living in or around 1900.
The following rubric will be used to evaluate your pamphlet.
Women’s
Suffrage Pamphlet Rubric
Partners:
______________________________________
|
The pamphlet accomplishes
its purpose. __ Information in the
pamphlet is complete and correct __ Pamphlet meets
expectations of the assignment in that it: - identifies the problem - lists arguments that are clear
and logical - determines causes for the selected movement - evaluates the author’s position |
10 9
8 7 6 5
4 3 2
1 0 |
|
The pamphlet is well
organized. __ The inside is clearly
divided into meaningful sub topics. __ Sub topics are presented
in a logical fashion. __ Information is complete
and clear. |
5 4
3 2 1
0 |
|
The pamphlet is creative
and interesting. __ Cover tactfully attracts
reader’s attention. __ Use of images, different
fonts or sizes, or other stylistic choices to enhance the pamphlet. |
5 4
3 2 1
0 |
|
The writing conventions
add to the quality of the pamphlet. __ There are few spelling
errors. __ Grammar and punctuation
are correct. __ Vocabulary and style are
appropriate for the audience. |
5 4
3 2 1
0 |
|
OVERALL SCORE: ________/25
|
|
Conclusion:
You should be working quickly and efficiently to produce a convincing pamphlet. Be sure to include specific information regarding your argument as Congress may take it into consideration as the issue of Women’s Suffrage comes to debate.
Standards:
Reading Standards for Literacy in History/Social Studies 6–8:
1. Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources.
2. Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source;
provide an
accurate summary of the source distinct from prior knowledge or opinions.
4.
Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text,
including vocabulary specific to domains related to history/social studies.
6.
Identify aspects of a text that reveal an author’s point of view or purpose
(e.g., loaded language, inclusion or avoidance of particular facts).
7.
Integrate visual information (e.g., in charts, graphs, photographs, videos, or
maps) with other information in print and digital texts.
Writing Standards for Literacy in
History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects 6–12:
1.
Write arguments focused on discipline-specific content.
a. Introduce claim(s) about a topic or issue,
acknowledge and distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims, and
organize the reasons and evidence logically.
b. Support claim(s) with logical reasoning and
relevant, accurate data and evidence that demonstrate an understanding of the
topic or text, using credible sources.
c. Use words, phrases, and clauses to create
cohesion and clarify the relationships among claim(s), counterclaims, reasons,
and evidence.
d. Establish and maintain a formal style.
e. Provide a concluding statement or section that
follows from and supports the argument presented.