Women's Suffrage Movement

Women have been fighting for their rights for the past 176 years, despite the harsh ups and downs. 1848 marked the beginning of the women's movement. Since then, there have been countless different approaches and strategies to allow women the same rights as men. These include protests, marches, rebellions, revolts, meetings, laws, and many others. There has been a gradual increase in women's equality, but the fight is still happening today. During the first wave of feminism, conventions and meetings were a vital part of the struggle for equality. Years later in the second wave, Supreme Court cases became more common and influential. A few decades later, the term feminism helped describe and empower the movement. Lastly, in present times, social …show more content…
The Women's Suffrage Movement, otherwise known as the first wave of feminism, began in 1848 with the Seneca Falls Convention. Before this, women had little to no rights at all. They could not “own property, write a will, sign a legal contract, dissolve her marriage, or gain custody of her children.” A woman's status was determined solely on her husband or father and they were not seen as citizens of the United States. Women and men across the globe started to feel like there needed to be a change. The Seneca Falls Convention “is regarded by many as the birthplace of American feminism.” There were many influential people present, some of the most famous being Frederick Douglas and Elizabeth Cady Stanton. Stanton wrote the Declaration of Sentiments, which demonstrated the purpose of the meeting. It stated that “all men and women are created equal.” This document was modeled after the Declaration of Independence and the main points in it were equality in every aspect of a women's lives. This included divorce, property, education, and labor, but it specifically highlighted the right to vote. Following this meeting, the movement gained more and more followers, all wanting one thing: …show more content…
Although it was a huge victory, “by the time women got the right to vote, the women's suffrage movement was more than half a century old.” The Nineteenth Amendment in 1920 put a stop to the First Wave of Feminism because the suffragists achieved their goal. This would not have happened without the Seneca Falls Convention because it started the movement, brought the Declaration of Sentiments with it, as well as motivated groups all across the country to fight for women's rights. Meetings seem to be a very effective form of protest because it brings people together and sparks inspiration. Even though it took decades to achieve their goals, the convention was extremely beneficial. With the closing of the Women's Suffrage Movement, it allowed the Women's Rights Movement to begin around forty years later. Throughout the second wave of feminism, there were numerous court cases that assisted the fight against discrimination. Beginning in 1963, the Women's Rights Movement, or Second Wave of Feminism, focused on equality for women in every aspect of their life. This included family, work, violence, divorce, children, and

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