Show W Woman Doman oman S Suffrage I Forty years ago the US U.S. was groaning under the same thundering thundering thun thun- dering oratory and rolling bandwagons bandwagons bandwagons band band- wagons that comprise a presidential presidential election campaign with one raising hair-raising difference women were about to cast their votes for the first time in ina ina a nationwide scale OPPONENTS OF a woman suffrage had charged that giving giving giving ing women the right to vote might them or might turn politics into a morality play History has proved them wrong on both counts But 1920 wasn't the first time women had voted reports World Book Encyclopedia CONGRESS HAD left the decision to the states and New I Jersey at first permitted its women to vote But men had second thoughts and the state took back the privilege in 1807 As women joined the labor force in the new factories and began to help men fight fo for fog temperance and ad the abolition of slavery they gained a forum to air their pet peeves A MEETING at Seneca Falls N. N Y which has been called the first woman suffrage convention convention convention con con- in the US U.S. stirred public public pub pub- lic lie discussion in 1848 i Two years later reformers male and female from the entire entire en en- tire country assembled at Wor- Wor Worcester cester Mass as the Womans Woman's Rights Convention THE CRUSADE was in full swing when the adoption of the Fifteenth Amendment divided the forces of reform The radicals led by Susan B. B Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton opposed the amendment amendment amendment amend amend- ment because it gave the vote to Negro men but not to wom wom- en They organized the National Woman Suffrage Association A MORE moderate group founded the American Woman Suffrage Association and concentrated concentrated concentrated con con- on persuading the states rather than the federal 0 1 4 V V government to grant voting rights to women In 1872 the determined Miss Anthony was arrested for vo vo ing and her trial focused wide attention on the feminist fight SEVERAL states granted woman suffrage in the and others began to take the idea more seriously At the time the suffragists reunited in inthe inthe inthe the National American Woman Suffrage Association and prepared prepared prepared pre pre- pared for Cor the big push Their chance came with world Iwar War I and the expanding role of women In 1 1917 a woman suffrage amendment to the Constitution was submitted to th the House of Representatives The pressure was stepped up and in 1918 1913 Woodrow Wilson personally went before a joint tnt session of Congress to urge passage CONGRESS TOOK action and the last of the necessary three 1 fourths of the states approved the Nineteenth Amendment in August 1920 just dust in time for foe I the presidential election I I |