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Leading up to the 1920s, the Women's Suffrage Movement was gaining momentum. After the war, women were kicked out of the jobs that they had been working while their husbands were away, and they were expected to go back to working within the home. However, many women were looking for careers and freedom, and most importantly, equality with men. Women had kept the country running while the men were away, so they became more and more vocal about their rights to do the same things as men, specifically their right to vote!
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The Amendment Process
In 1920, the 19th amendment was passed, giving American women the right to vote. However, getting the amendment passed was not an easy task. This is due to the amendment process, and many people remaining opposed to women's suffrage! In order to have an amendment added to the Constitution, it must be approved by two-thirds of the House of Representatives, and two-thirds of the Senate. Then it had to be approved by 3/4 of the state conventions OR 3/4 of the state legislatures! That was a LOT of men to convince!
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The Two Sides:
Pro-Suffrage: Many women were pro-suffrage, claiming that it was the right of women to vote and be equal to men. Many of these women had held jobs while the men were away at war, and felt strongly about the need for liberty. In addition, many of the women in cities who were known as flappers were on the side of the suffragist movement! These women were embracing the ideals of modernity, and embracing the changes that had come with the 20th century. Flappers were known for cutting their hair short, wearing dresses that were shorter than had been accepted before, and engaged in many activities that only men used to do! Also, there were men on the side of the Suffragist movement. These men supported their wives, sisters, mothers, and friend and spoke of their right to be equal.
Anti-Suffrage: Some men and women were still opposed to the Suffragist movement. One reason was that there were many people with traditional values who were not on board with all of the change coming with the 1920s! They felt like women gaining the right to vote would be the end of order and the way things had always been done. Some women were also opposed to the Suffrage movement because they claimed that being a mother and a wife was the purpose of a woman, and more important than dealing with politics. These people were typically very Conservative, and outspoken about their disdain of the Suffrage movement. Many of the people who were opposed to the Suffragist movement were religious fundamentalists, people who were very strict in their religious beliefs and Biblical moral code. They interpreted the Bible as saying men were superior to women. These same people were typically also in favor of Prohibition (the 18th Amendment), the ban of alcohol. |
Practice it!
Check your packet to see which important people, places, and things are explained in Lesson 5! I will be checking for completion on Wednesday, October 24th. :)