Women's Fight for the Vote 

 


The Nineteenth Amendment

 

Gayatri Choudhary

Walton High School

 

An Introduction

 

“In 1787 the U.S. Constitution is adopted and ratified at the Constitution Convention. The Constitution leaves the decision on voting qualifications up to the individual states. Twelve of the thirteen states prohibit women from voting. Women in New Jersey keep their voting rights (for awhile)”.

 

How did women finally win the right to vote?

 

The Suffragist’s Journey!

 


Suffragist parade (1915)

 

The beginning of the fight for women suffrage is usually traced to the "Declaration of Sentiments" produced at the first woman's rights convention in Seneca Falls, N. Y. in 1848. Four years later, at the Woman's Rights Convention in Syracuse in 1852, Susan B. Anthony joined the fight, arguing that "the right women needed above every other...was the right of suffrage."

During debates on the Reconstruction Amendments which extended the vote to ex-slaves (through the 15th Amendment), suffragists pushed hard for "universal suffrage," but they never had a chance.


Executive Committee of the National Woman Suffrage Association (1872)

In 1872, suffragists brought a series of court challenges designed to test whether voting was a "privilege" of "U. S. citizenship" now belonging to women by virtue of the recently adopted 14th Amendment.  One such challenge grew out of a criminal prosecution of Susan B. Anthony for illegally voting in the 1872 election. The first case to make its way to the Supreme Court, however, was Minor Vs Happersett (1875).  In Minor, a unanimous Court rejected the argument that either the privileges and immunities clause or the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment extended the vote to women.  Following Minor, suffragists turned their attention from the courts to the states and to Congress.

VOCABULARY:

 

Suffrage

The right to vote.

 

Suffragist

A woman or man who is an advocate for a woman's right to vote.

 

How does this poster and all the other

Illustrations in this Web Quest

Teach us the History?

The Task

The cartoons and photographs in the news papers and magazines represent and reflect the view points of our society at large. It is one way to examine and learn about historical events and interpret history.

Your Role in this Web Quest

 

As a political cartoonist for your Daily News Paper, your task is to analyze the following cartoons depicting the sentiments of society in that time period concerning women suffrage, and exhibit understanding of the historical events.

As a modern day cartoonist you will draw a cartoon illustrating the present day social values and sentiments concerning women’s role and place in politics,

 

The Process

 

You will work in teams of two. Using the resource links provided, you will research the court cases and historical illustrations, to fully understand the suffragists’ movement.

 You will use  Compu LEGAL to analyze the facts of the issues of Susan B. Anthony’s court case.

Next, you are required to use the Cartoon Analysis Worksheet to analyze and exhibit your understanding of the women suffragists’ movement.

 

Cartoon #1

 

                            

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tearing off the Bonds
(Judge Magazine, 19th October, 1912)

                                     

 

Cartoon #2

 

 

 

 


Rose O'Neill, postcard (c. 1915)

 

 

Cartoon #3

 


Brewer: Have no fear, my dear, I can afford to pay your bills.
Anti-Suffrage Campaigner: I always knew that indirect influence was enough.

Ida Proper, Women's Voter (May, 1913

 

 

Cartoon #4

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


                                                     

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Harry Osborn, Two More Bright Spots on the Map,
Maryland Suffrage News (14th November, 1914)

 

 

 

The Resources

 

v    http://www.infoplease.com/spot/womenstimeline1.html

information on women’s right movement

v    http://www.archives.gov/digital_classroom/lessons/woman_suff rage/woman_suffrage.html

an excellent resource for teachers

v    http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/anthony/sbahome.html

complete information on Susan B. Anthony’s trial

v    http://womhist.binghamton.edu/

A resource on Women and Social Movements from 1600s to present day

v    http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/conlaw/nineteentham.htm

information on 19th amendment

v    http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/plegal/Lessons/Intro/introepg.html

information on equality under gender

v    http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/plegal/scales/anyiss.html

link to project legal

v    http://www.decades.com/Timeline/n/101.htm?newvw=3&tlvw=2

comprehensive suffragist information provided in a time line manner

 

The Evaluation

 

 

Your grades will be based upon the following criteria:

v    efforts and initiative

v    team work

v     critical analysis of two of the four cartoons

v    illustration of a political cartoon with depiction

 

Grading Rubric:

 

Excellent

1. Student shows a complete understanding of the historical events.

2. Student provides facts and opinions with supporting details.

3. Student shows the ability to analyze, evaluate, and apply critical thinking skills.

4. Student participates in group process.

5. Student submits complete illustrated project with appropriate depiction.

Good

1. Student shows a good understanding of the historical events.

2. Student provides facts and opinions with supporting details.

3. Student shows the ability to analyze and evaluate information.

4. Student participates in group process.

5. Student submits complete illustrated project with depiction.

Passing

1.    Student shows a satisfactory understanding of the historical events.

2. Student provides facts and opinions with some supporting details.

3. Student shows minimal ability to analyze and evaluate information.

4. Student participates in group process.

5. Student submits illustrated project with some depiction.

Failing

1.Student shows a minimal to no understanding of the historical events.

2. Student provides minimal facts and opinions.

3. Student shows no ability to analyze and evaluate information.

4. Student has difficulty participating in group process.

5. Student submits incomplete illustrated project.

 

New York City Learning Standards

 

Social Studies: #1 and #5

The Arts: #1, #3 and #4

The ELA: #3 and #4

 

The Conclusion

 

You should have learned from this web quest that it took 81 years for African Americans to gain a constitutional right to vote, 132 years for women and 183 years for those 18 to 20 years old.

 

The fight for voting rights has overcome discrimination based on race, gender, age, geography and economic class. But is the voting process free of all ailments? Redistricting to control representation, technology and voting process, are just few of the modern day issues to deal with our next web quest!