Disclaimer: The following blog post is not a reflection of the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s opinion on the below topics.
Throughout history, women have often been wrongly stereotyped as “passive,” “silent,” and “weak.” The nonviolent protests of the Women’s Suffrage Movement in the early 1900s in the U.S. are evidence against these stereotypes. In 1848, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, an author and philosopher, and Lucretia Mott, an activist for women’s rights and the abolition of slavery, organized the first women’s rights convention in Seneca Falls, New York.[1] [2] [3] At this convention, supporters created a list of demands called the Declaration of Sentiments which called for greater educational and professional opportunities for women, and more control over property and finances.[4] Twenty years later, the National Woman Suffrage Association (NWSA) was founded in 1869 by Stanton and Susan B. Anthony in opposition to the 15th Amendment because it excluded women.[5]
Throughout the next 50 years, women used a variety of nonviolent methods and tactics to protest for the right to vote. For example, Anthony registered and voted in an election in 1872, and when charged, she claimed her arrest was unjust. Large theatrical parades were used in the 1910s, most notably one on March 3rd, 1913 where the parade marched from the U.S. Capital to the U.S. Treasury Building.[6] In 1913, the Congressional Union for Women’s Suffrage and the National Women’s Party were created.[7] Together, protesters called the Silent Sentinels picketed outside the White House on January 10th, 1917, in an attempt to get President Woodrow Wilson, Congress, and State Legislatures to pass the 19th Amendment.[8] The daily routine that the picketers encountered of protesting outside the White House, getting arrested, being in jail briefly, and then being released eventually caused President Woodrow Wilson to support the passage of the 19th Amendment. The National Women’s Party regularly used lobbying, publicity stunts, and nonviolent campaigns as a way to protest for gender equality.[9] They particularly got inspiration from the tactics used by the British Suffrage Campaign, the American Labor Movement, and more.[10] Eventually, in 1920, the 19th Amendment was passed and women were given the right to vote.
Even though this had been a victory for women across the country, activists were still working hard towards full gender equality, and their next mission was access to contraception and birth control. This fight for equality was instigated and started by Margaret Sanger, who had started the first birth control clinic, preaching that women should have the right to control their own bodies.[12] Finally, in 1936, federal courts ruled birth control legal.[13] As time went on, women continued to express their argument for gender equality, which came to a peak during the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s and 70s. In 1960, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first birth control pill, which was also spearheaded by Sanger. In June 1968, women working at the Ford Motor Company as sewing mechanics realized that they were being paid 15 cents less than the male sewing mechanics.[14] After learning about this, they orchestrated a walkout demanding to be paid more. In addition to forcing Ford Motor Company’s hand, they also put pressure on the government to pass the Equal Pay Act in 1970, which made it illegal to pay men and women different wages based on their sex.[15] The U.S. government continued to pass laws and rule on court cases that gradually expanded women’s rights. In 1970, Representative Patsy T. Mink of Hawaii introduced Title IX to Congress, which made it illegal to deny and be excluded from participating in educational and athletic programs based on sex.[16] Shortly after, in 1973, Roe v. Wade was passed which legalized abortion in all 50 states.[17]
Even though women have gained many rights throughout the past 100 years legally and politically, there is still a long way to go until the U.S. has full gender equality. There have been setbacks to the fight for equal rights, including the Dobbs v. Jackson decision in 2022, which reversed Roe v. Wade, ending the federal legalization and protection of abortion. In addition, even though women legally must earn the same amount as men, a gender pay gap still exists today, causing women to only earn 83.7% of each dollar men earn.[18] Socially, change must come for women to escape the stereotypes and discrimination they face each day due to incorrect stereotypes that have been perpetuated throughout history.
[1] Debra Michals, “Elizabeth Cady Stanton,” National Women’s History Museum, 2017.
[2] Debra Michals, “Lucretia Mott,” National Women’s History Museum, 2017.
[3] “Woman Suffrage and the 19th Amendment,” National Archives, June 2, 2021.
[4] “Declaration of Sentiments” Address by Elizabeth Cady Stanton in Seneca Falls, New York, July 1848, State Historical Society of Iowa.
[5] “Woman Suffrage and the 19th Amendment,” National Archives.
[6] Ibid.
[7] “Tactics and Techniques of the National Woman’s Party Suffrage Campaign,” Library of Congress.
[8] Alli Hartley-Kong, “Radical Protests Propelled the Suffrage Movement. Here’s how a New Museum Captures That History,” Smithsonian Magazine, October 2, 2020.
[9] “Tactics and Techniques of the National Woman’s Party Suffrage Campaign,” Library of Congress.
[10] Ibid.
[11] “The 1913 Woman Suffrage Procession,” Oregon Secretary of State.
[12] Bonnie Eisenberg and Mary Ruthsdotter, “Living the Legacy: The Women’s Rights Movement (1848-1998),” National Women’s History Alliance.
[13] Mary Huth, “US Suffrage Movement Timeline, 1869 to Present,” University of Rochester, 1995.
[14] Joe Revill, “The Fight For Equal Pay…40 Years On,” The Guardian, May 31, 2008.
[15] Ibid.
[16] “The 14th Amendment and the Evolution of Title IX,” United States Courts.
[17] “Women’s History Milestones: A Timeline,” History.com, March 15, 2023.
[18] Wendy Chun-Hoon “5 Fast Facts: The Gender Wage Gap,” U.S. Department of Labor Blog. March 14, 2023.