Survey 6: A Turning Point for Women

The women’s suffrage movement was one of the most important global events in not only women’s history but history as a whole. It actually began in 1848, when a women’s rights convention was held in Seneca Falls, New York and 68 women and 32 men signed the Declaration of Sentiments. It basically stated that women wanted equal treatment as men and the same voting rights; the movement continued until 1920. There were many reasons why the movement began and was such a serious matter. Women protested for better wages so they feed their families and wanted the rich to start paying for the poor. Additionally, the factories and warehouses they were working in had poor sanitation and safety. Women wanted to work somewhere safe and clean. Many women did not have many opportunities to get a job. If they had a job then they would get paid very poorly and worked in horrible conditions. They never had a chance to finish their education or pursue a professional career. From 1777 to 1784, women lost their right to vote in many states. Some women and girls couldn’t even go out without the supervision of a man! However, they had no voice in the government so they weren’t able to make important decisions and changes to benefit themselves.

Photographs of women gathering together during protest

During the movement, many posters were designed and shown in magazines, newspapers etc. to further advocate for equal suffrage among men and women. This united women and many felt that they had the power to speak up for once.

Women's Suffrage Poster Collection is on View for First Time in 100 Years — Illustrated paper commercial

Women's suffrage: Rare collection of suffragette posters goes on display to mark centenary of getting the vote | The Independent | The Independent — Women were finally putting their needs as a priority

Through the efforts of many important women, there were also good news and many changes were allowed to be made, including the creation of the 19th amendment to the constitution was signed into law on August 26th, 1920 which gave all women the right to vote. Four years prior on November 7th, 1916 the first female member of Congress, Jeanette Rankin was elected to the House of Representatives. Rankin was a beacon and symbol of what women could achieve with determination and equality. Personally, this is especially relevant to me because the 2020 US election is just around the corner and researching about this significant event has been very inspiring and helped me gain hope for the election outcome which will determine the rights for many Americans.