Introduction
The women’s rights movement in the United States has a long history. It started in 1848 when the first women’s rights convention took place in Seneca Falls and the Declaration of Sentiments was signed. They sought the equal treatment of women and men by law and fought for voting rights. If in 1848 only 68 women and 32 men present at the convention, two years later the movement consisted of more than 1,000 participants. The women’s rights movement was successful because they were united, had a strong ideological foundation, and organized campaigns on the regular basis.
Causes of Success
Women were united in their movement for equal rights because they understood that unity was their key strength, the only way to succeed. Historically, wifehood and motherhood were considered the only professions of women. Moreover, they were regarded as intellectually inferior to men, as the source of temptation (Meyers, 1994). As the result of women’s united efforts and centralized movement, as early as 1893 women living in Colorado State were granted the right to vote. By 1918, more than 15 states adopted amendments to their constitutions granting females the voting right (Bjornlund, 2003).
American women had a strong ideological foundation that helped them not to give up and continue their movement for equal treatment. In the 19th century, women began working outside their homes, and in many cases, their working conditions were worse than men’s. Moreover, they were paid less and worked for 12 hours per day in addition to household activities. Women were not the passive recipients of the changes in law and seven generations of women struggled together to affect these changes. The women’s rights movement was highly democratic: they fought for their rights through meetings, petition drives, non-violent resistance, and public speaking (Eisenberg & Ruthsdotter, 1998).
American women did not give and tried to attract public attention to their situation on a continuous basis. Every month in different places the prominent women organized meetings and delivered public speeches to the population. The Seneca Falls women-only hoped that conventions started by them would embrace every part of the United States, but they did not even expect that women’s rights conventions took place every year and attracted so many people that there was not enough space for all of the participants (Macdonald, 2001). Within a short period of time, American women organized the National American Woman Suffrage Association (1890), the U.S. Birth control clinic (1916), the Women’s Bureau of the Department of Labour (1920), the National Council of Negro Women (1935), and many other public organizations (Nash, 1998).
Conclusion
The women’s rights movement was successful only because American women did not agree with the inferior position imposed on them by a male-dominated society. They fought for equal treatment, even though they did not organize conflict and have chosen democratic ways to gain equality. They have united their movement and had the support of the all-female population of the United States. Due to their efforts more than a hundred years ago, modern women all over the world have equal rights with men and this right is protected by law. Today women are involved in all fields of social, political, economic, and even military activities. The women’s rights movement is the perfect example of how a small group of people can change history.
References
- Bjornlund, L. (2003). Women in History – Women of the Suffrage Movement (Women in History). Lucent Books.
- Eisenberg, B. & Ruthsdotter, M. (1998). Living the Legacy: The Women’s Rights Movement 1848 – 1998. Web.
- Macdonald, F. (2001). Women in 19th Century America. Peter Bedrick Publishing.
- Meyers, M. (1994). Forward into Light: The Struggle for Woman’s Suffrage (Perspectives on History). Discovery Enterprises Press.
- Nash, C. (1998). The Fight for Women’s Right to Vote in American History. Enslow Publishers.