What Role Did Suffrage Play In The Women's Suffrage Movement

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Did you know that Susan B. Anthony and 15 other women voted illegally in the 1872 presidential election? All women were not allowed the right to vote legally until about 48 years later. The Women’s Suffrage Movement was started, which was a long and difficult movement that aimed at women’s right to vote. In this paper, I will talk about the role of women during WWI and how it contributed to the suffrage movement and the 19th amendment. In the 19th century, a women’s job mostly consisted of being a domestic servant, charwoman, or laundress. Men are viewed as the “breadwinners” of their families. The men had more opportunities to work with better pay, while women were sent home to take care of the house and family. “A woman's household work included …show more content…
Some women were given the chance to become hotel keepers, teachers, actresses, artists, and authors. Although these women were given better jobs, their salary would not be as high as a man’s salary. According to dol.gov, “Women’s labor was undervalued. Most of the disparity in women and men’s pay cannot be explained by measurable differences between them.” A common question is why weren’t women allowed to vote? “Anti-suffragists claimed that women did not want to vote, and they did not have time to keep up with the politics because of household work and children. Some men said women were not smart enough to offer helpful opinions on political issues” (crusadeforthevote.org). Women believed they did not lack the expertise or mental capacity to vote. This argument was one of the big reasons the women’s suffrage movement began to form. Men have always been seen as superior to women; therefore, they get to make all the big decisions and take authority over women. Patriarchy can be defined as a social system where men rule over women in social, economic, and political …show more content…
Women are gentle, calm, forgiving, and affectionate. As the Women Suffrage Act was rising during WWI, “many saw the war as an opportunity to not only serve their countries but to gain more rights and independence. With millions of men away from home, women filled manufacturing and agricultural positions on the home front” (National WWI Museum and Memorial). WWI changed and strengthened the suffrage movement; women knew they were finally making progress by taking a more active role in the war effort. “Beginning in the 1800’s, women organized, petitioned, and picketed to win the right to vote, but it took them decades to accomplish their purpose” (archives.gov). The women’s suffrage movement began in the mid-19th century when supporters wrote, lectured, practiced civil disobedience, and marched to achieve a change in the Constitution. The right to vote should be universal to everyone, not just men. Everyone has their own opinion and can put in helpful input. “Susan B. Anthony found that the male leaders of both movements discriminated against women, so she turned to the Women’s Suffrage Movement” (Appleby, et al, pg. 414).