Women had been advocating for suffrage since the late 19th century.
Suffrage amendments were introduced in Congress in 1868, 1878, and 1887.
Early public acts included Susan B. Anthony and Sojourner Truth trying to vote in 1872.
Protests, such as the 1887 New Jersey women's ballot action, highlighted the public nature of their efforts.
Opposition
Social and Economic Opposition:
Some elite women opposed suffrage, believing women's role was to be a moral influence outside politics.
Concerns about "unfit" women voting reflected classist and potentially racist attitudes.
Liquor industry and industrial manufacturers opposed suffrage due to potential regulations.
The National Association Opposed to Women's Suffrage used essentialist arguments against suffrage, claiming women's roles were inherently domestic.
Propaganda and Rhetoric:
Anti-suffrage campaigns used domestic rhetoric, as seen in pamphlets linking suffrage to household chaos.
Visual arts, such as postcards and cartoons, often derogatorily portrayed suffragists as unattractive or loveless.
Imagery suggested that women voting would disrupt family life.
Suffrage Activist Strategies
Modernizing the Movement:
Emphasis on appealing to modern, young women, moving away from figures like Susan B. Anthony.
Influences from British suffragists targeted middle and working-class women.
Suffragists used clothing and conduct to project respectability and modernity.
Notable Events:
Alice Paul and Lucy Burns organized a major parade in 1913 in Washington, D.C.
Featured over 500 women, 20 floats, music bands, and was highly publicized.
Met with violent opposition, resulting in hospitalizations.
Imagery included classical representations of women like Columbia and Liberty, invoking patriotism.
Racial Segregation and Discrimination
Racial Segregation in Suffrage Movement:
Alice Paul initially resisted integration in the 1913 parade.
Black women's organizations, such as Delta Sigma Theta, resisted segregation and marched prominently.
Ida B. Wells Barnett defied segregation by joining the Illinois delegation.
Broader Issues of Race:
White supremacy and segregation were pervasive in the movement.
Southern strategies aimed to gain support from pro-segregation white women.
White suffragists sometimes supported the exclusion of Black women to gain political favor.
Summary
The suffrage movement in the early 20th century was characterized by modernization efforts, opposition from various societal sectors, and significant racial tensions.
Anti-suffragists used essentialist views, derogatory propaganda, and imagery to oppose the movement.
Suffragists made efforts to appeal to modern women and engaged in public spectacles like parades to draw attention.
Racial segregation was a major issue within the suffrage movement, reflecting broader societal racial dynamics of the time.