Women's History

Women’s History

1. Women were first allowed to vote in the 1920 Presidential elections. Notable events surrounding this accomplishment included:

• The Seneca Falls Women’s Rights Convention of 1848, when voting for women was first proposed

• Alice Paul leads the National Women’s Party in picketing and marches on the White House to demand the right to vote

• Women’s role in World War I was a significant support for the war, and thus women cited that as a primary point to gain suffrage

• Woodrow Wilson begins to support women’s suffrage in 1918 in a speech saying that women were “partners” in the war

• Many women’s groups supported the passage, including abolitionist groups, the National Women’s Party, The American Woman Suffrage Association, and the National Woman Suffrage Association. Men also supported the Amendment, including President Woodrow Wilson (Mann, 2013)

• Groups that opposed the Amendment were prominently upper class men and women (Mann, 2013)

• Opposition arguments included that women voters would vote to close saloons and women voters would pave the way for African American women to gain the right also (Mann, 2013)

• Also in 1918 the House of Representatives passes an Amendment to the Constitution for voting equality

• In 1919 the Senate also passes this Amendment

• Tennessee is the last state to ratify the Amendment

• On August 26, 1920, the 19th Amendment became law

All information above: (Lewis, 2013)

2. The Equal Rights Amendment was written by Alice Paul (Alice Paul Institute, 2013).

• Over 50 groups and organizations supported the passage of the Equal Rights Amendment, according to EqualRightsAmendment.org.

• Conservatives of the time opposed the Amendment (Utah.gov, 2013)

• Phyllis Shlafly was one of the big voices against the Amendment. She argued that a woman’s first obligation was to her family and the home (Utah.gov, 2013)

3. The Equal Rights Amendment was first introduced to Congress in 1923 and was passed in 1972...