we hold these truths to be self-evident that all men and women are created equal no that’s not the declaration of independence it’s actually from the declaration of sentiments a document signed at the first ever women’s rights convention in 1848 back then women in the us weren’t allowed to do a lot of things men were like vote and it would take them another 70 years to be granted that fundamental right why well many thought encouraging women’s involvement in politics would undermine society the prospect of women voting was threatening to the white men who held power in 1848 elizabeth katie stanton and lucretia mott decided to organize factions across the country that were campaigning for suffrage or the right to vote the convention at seneca falls new york addressed women’s rights and inspired other conventions and meetings stanton considered it the beginning of the women’s rights movement after the civil war the 15th amendment was introduced which would give black men but not women of any color the right to vote suffragists were split stanton and susan b anthony opposed the amendment objecting to the exclusion of women they formed the national women’s suffrage association hoping to pass a constitutional amendment that included women others like abolitionists lucy stone and henry blackwell supported the 15th amendment they founded the american woman suffrage association and lobbied for the women’s right to vote on a state level instead of through a national amendment the 15th amendment was ratified in 1870 black men could vote but women still couldn’t in 1878 a women’s suffrage amendment penned by susan b anthony was finally proposed in congress but it was defeated on the senate floor in 1887. in 1890 the separate suffrage movements merged opting to tackle suffrage by state in the wake of the federal amendment’s defeat within six years colorado utah and idaho granted women the right to vote wyoming had already done it in 1869. around the same time the national association of colored women was formed bringing together more than 100 black women’s clubs it included leaders mary church tyrell josephine silen yates and anna julia cooper by the turn of the 20th century the women’s suffrage movement had gained renewed momentum parades marches and pickets drew great attention to the cause between 1910 and 1918 a number of states and territories expanded voting rights to women in 1912 15 000 suffrage supporters took to the streets of new york city but as women’s political power grew so did the danger they faced in 1913 on the eve of president woodrow wilson’s inauguration hundreds of women were injured in a massive suffrage parade in the nation’s capital in november of 1917 33 suffragists were arrested outside the white house the women were clubbed beaten and tortured by prison guards at the ocoquin workhouse one of the movement’s leaders alice paul founder of what became the national women’s party was placed in solitary confinement in order to break her will and undermine her credibility but press coverage of the women’s treatment increased sympathy for their plight and in 1918 representative jeannette rankin the first woman in congress opened congressional debate on a women’s suffrage amendment the resolution failed in 1918 president wilson also came out in favor of suffrage declaring it was needed as a war measure wilson argued that women had been providing vital roles during world war one and that their votes should be counted in order to make the world safe for democracy finally in 1919 the federal women’s suffrage amendment the same one written by susan b anthony back in 1878 was passed by the house and the senate and on august 26 1920 the 19th amendment was officially incorporated into the u.s constitution prohibiting denying the vote to a u.s citizen based on gender although states could still deny voting rights based on other things it would take another four years for native american women and men to get the right to vote and more than 30 years before major restrictions were lifted on asian american voting rights you
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