May 31, 2020 3 min read

In 1776, The Framers declared independence from Great Britain and created a new country built on a foundation of freedom, representation, and basic rights. The Framers believed that not everyone could vote, so in order to vote you needed to have owned property. For most women, who did not own property unless married, voting rights were simply out of reach.

After 89 years of being governed under the Constitution and Bill of Rights, America transformed its government in a radical and ground-breaking new way that abolished slavery and granted citizenship to all people of color in the nation. The former slaves were granted their voting rights in 1870, via the 15th amendment; however, this still excluded women.

The first push for women’s voting rights came in the 1840’s, during the Abolitionist Movement. It was seen as a chance for universal suffrage by many. One such believer was a woman named Elizabeth Cady Stanton, who was an Abolitionist and suffragist. She soon met Susan B. Anthony, a schoolteacher from New York. The two became lifelong partners who complemented each other in personality, Stanton being diplomatic and reserved and Anthony being bold and vivacious. Anthony drafted an amendment and saw it rise as a pressing matter in congress several times only to see it rejected every time. Stanton and Anthony would not live long enough to see their dream come true, but they had done enough; they had disturbed the system long enough to set a motion in place. Stanton passed away in 1902 and Anthony in 1906.

With the passing of Stanton and Anthony, the suffragist movement looked to Carrie Chapman Catt as their new spokesperson and leader. Beginning in 1910, the suffragists gained support from several western states, including Utah and Idaho, both of which granted women’s voting rights for state and local elections only. One group of the National Women Suffrage Campaign, led by Alice Paul, began more radical and militant measures including marching on the White House, pickets, and hunger strikes.

The president at the time, Woodrow Wilson, was a previously outspoken sexist who believed strongly against women’s suffrage. Once the U.S. entered World War I, with the reduced male population due to conflicts in Europe, women landed many manufacturing and service jobs. President Wilson soon realized that with women becoming represented with slightly more equality in the workplace, equal voting rights would be soon to follow. As Wilson toiled with deciding between his lifelong views or protecting his reputation, the suffragists continued pressing their cause. In 1916, a group of women flew a biplane over President Wilson’s yacht, the Mayflower, and “bombed” it with petitions from various chapters of the National Women’s Suffrage Campaign. With continued pressure from suffragist groups, and a country divided on the matter, Wilson passed the 19th Amendment on June 4,1919. The measure was ratified on August 18,1920 and continues to have immense impact on the voting, policies, and everyday life 100 years later.

Wyatt Coburn is a freshman at McGuffey High School.