Remembering the Ladies: The Fight for the Vote from 1776 to 1920

Abstract

This paper focuses on the women's suffrage movement in America. It analyzes pivotal periods between the nation's founding and the 19th Amendment being ratified. A variety of secondary and primary sources were used to research this topic. Through these sources it is argued firstly that increasing education for women following the American Revolution led to greater participation in political discourse and activities, secondly that this participation inspired some women to seek voting rights, and thirdly that the gradual increase in women's public presence and activism during the 19th century was the primary reason why they gained the right to vote. The suffrage movement was only partially responsible for this increase, but having a Constitutionally guaranteed right to vote was still a critical step towards political equality for women in the United States.