The ability to vote in the United States changed dramatically in the early years of the country, changing from only white males who were rich, property owners to almost all white males around 1850. Between the years 1807 and 1890, women were not allowed to vote, although by 1870 all men including the former slaves had the right to vote, The Women's Suffrage Movement can be traced back to the "Declaration of Sentiments", which was held in Seneca Falls, N.Y in 1848 by a small group of women, this group was lead by Elizabeth Cady Stanton. Suffragists called the views of tradition roles of women, believing that all women should have a voice in political affairs, and the right to back up their unheard voices with a vote. The women's right movement of the mid nineteenth century unified women around a number of issues that were seen as fundamental rights for all citizens; this included, reproductive rights, access to higher education, Women's Right of Petition and suffrage. Women began discussing the problems they faced in society and the different ways they wanted to change their lives. The women's suffrage was the most controversial women's rights issue of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries and this divided early feminists on ideological lines. Even though the early Women's Suffrage Movement did not obtain voting right for women, it did in fact set the state for the later suffrage movements. This also had a huge effect on the American Society because women began to prosper for the "cult of the true woman-hood" and they were then able to achieve many rights for women.
Women contributed to the ratification of the 19th amendment of the United States Constitution. Due to the female measures taken to gain small steps towards gender equality, the amendment was passed. Female measures were mainly taken by the national woman's party who encourage citizens to vote against anti-Suffragists senators. Amendment was then passed without any restrictions or guarding property ownership, tax payments, or marital status, allowing women the right to vote. The ratification of the 19th amendment established woman suffrage, allowing for many women to get involved in politics and encouraging them to see themselves as voters, as well as equal citizens of the United States. The granting of woman suffrage allowed women to increase the role in politics, the media, education and the workforce. The Women's right will increase in all of these aspects, but for gender equality, unfortunately it is still not present in the publics view today. In the Constitution, the 19th amendment allowed women to begin participating in the public of the United States, but this participation would have not occurred if it were not for the women's movement of the 19th and 20th centuries. For over approximately 80 years, American woman fought for the right to vote and they eventually gained it. After doing so, they took this advantage to create equal rights for all citizens. Clearly, the situation for woman was not easy, 'woman had to use petitions to ask for support from the members of the Parliament (MP's)'. The first wave of feminists were concerned on how to attain equality for women in the public sphere. More than three hundred citizens came to take part in one of the most important documents written in women's history during the Women's Rights Convention in Seneca, New York, which was led by Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott on July 19-20 1848. Elizabeth Stanton became persistent. When she included a resolution supporting the voting right for women in the document, highly intimidated by this notion, her loyal husband threatened to boycott the convention. When the two- day convention was over, one hundred men as well as women signed the historical, "Seneca Falls Declaration of Sentiments". During the two-day discussion at the convention, the Declaration of Sentiments received unanimous endorsement. The one and only resolution that did not pass was the call for women's enfranchisement. To most, the idea that women should have the right to vote was inconceivable and unheard of.
As a leader of the Women's Rights Movement, Elizabeth Cady Stanton drafted the "Declaration of Sentiments' which drew its inspiration from the Declaration of Independence. Through this declaration, Stanton saw this as an open opportunity to enumerate areas of life where women were treated unjustly compared to the treatment of men. By using this chance, Stanton campaigned for women's rights by paralleling them to the "American Symbol of Liberty". Refusing to give up, Stanton wrote to every newspaper article in the country to rebuttal against any negative comments that were published about the Seneca Falls Declaration of Sentiments. Unfortunately, this victory was short-lived due to the newspapers printing the articles about the convention and tarnishing their exposure of equality. In the hope that, "it will start women thinking, and men too" stated Stanton (Rynder). Furthermore, Stanton's aggressive approach helped spread the word about the Seneca Falls Convention and inspired hundred of women, including Susan B. Anthony to start women's rights meetings throughout the whole country and eventually throughout the world.
Purposely, modeled after the 1776 United States Declaration of Independence, the Seneca Falls Declaration of Sentiments accentuate that "all men and women are created equal' and 'are endwoed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights" (Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions). As anyone could imagine, this document became a huge first step forward towards the women's suffrage. Unfortunately, this victory was short-lived due to the newspapers printing the articles about the convention and tarnishing their exposure of equality.
Soon after, Susan B. Anthony a well known anti-slavery activist, joined the wome's rights movement after hearing about the Seneca Falls Convention through her parents. After reading dozens of newspaper articles about Stantons symbolic movement for womens suffrage, Anthony became aspired to help. In 1852, Stanton and Susan met and formed an expected life-long friendship that was bound to be a political success. Stanton was unable to travel the country to perform speeches and articles due to her expanding, therefore she wrote speeches and articles supporting women's suffrage; Anthony on the other hand, traveled the country to deliver lectures and organize women's rights meetings throughout the states. Stanton stated, "I forged the thunderbolts and she fired them"( Rynder), Eventually, Anthony and Stanton founded the American Equal Rights Association in 1866.
By 1868, the two exemplars began to publish a newspaper advocating women's suffrage called The Revolution in Rochester, with an enigmatic head declaring "Men their rights, and nothing more; women, their rights, and nothing less," and the aim of instituting "justice for all" (S.B Staff). By 1869, the suffrage efforts divided, with Anthony and Stanton's American Equal Rights Association persistent campaign to amend to constitution and the America's Woman Suffrage Association implementing a new strategy of amending suffrage on a state-by-state basis.
In 1919, ocngres finally received a two-thirds vote for women's suffrage to pass through, soon after, the proposed amendment was sent out to all stated to be ratified. The amendment came dow na very astonishing last vote which was in Tennessee, it needed only one vote to pass, or the same vote to make it fail. Harry Burns, the man who had to make the deciding vote, and in a historical moment , he voted to pass women's suffrage. It was said that, at that particular moment, he had received a letter from his mom, where she reminded him to 'be a good boy, vote for the suffrage' (Linder,2011).