Over 100 years of Woman Suffrage

TheresaChristine Etim

Assignment 3 of 3

Women’s rights activists form first American Suffrage Association over 100 year ago

Group centers on women’s voting rights

Boston, MA­­­­­­­­­ ­– Women’s rights advocates formed American Woman Suffrage Association in response of women voting restrictions 145 years ago.

It’s hard to believe that Greta Garbo made front page news for wearing pants because she was a woman, let alone believe that women couldn’t vote at a certain point in history. Still, in a world where ideologies greatly influenced society, people like Lucy Stone and Henry Blackwell sought to change the status quo in November of 1869.

A Bostonian and eighth child of nine, stone felt bestowed to challenge the rights of women as a leader of the movement in the Boston area. Life experiences of women of the time influenced a vast amount of her cause, as she experienced the same.

Teaching at the age of 16 was one of the influencing factors of her cause, as she was allocated what was considered “woman’s pay.” Stone earned $1 a day as a beginning pay which was substantially lower than her male counterparts. Despite bigger districts enabling her a larger pay of $16 a day, she was still paid lower than men of the same occupation. 

In addition to enduring sexism in the workforce, the anti-slavery movement was also one of stone’s influence, as she supported the cause and was influenced by public speakers of the movement. One of which was Abby Kelly, a woman denied the right to speak or vote at an anti-slavery meeting because she was a woman, despite being an agent for the cause in her state.

Despite being forbidden to vote, Kelly continued to raise her hand to issues she felt passionate about. It was this story that cultivated Stone’s public speaking, a talent that made her significant in the Suffrage movement. 

Stone rapidly followed suit when defending a deacon at her church for engaging in anti-slavery activities. Although she too was refused the right to speak or vote when voting for the deacon’s expulsion took place, she continued to actively vote in the presence of the church.

Stone’s story was the influence for many figures in the suffrage movement such as Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton. Being considered the heart of the Suffrage movement influenced Stone to deter many traditional ways of life. Marriage was no exception, as Stone did not want a male influence to hinder the way she lived.

“Too much has already been said and written about ‘women's sphere,’” Stone said. “Leave women, then, to find their sphere.”

But Stone soon made provisions for marriage after finding a companion that allocated her to have equal partnership in their relationship literallyand legally. That companion was future co-founder of American Woman Suffrage Association Henry Browne Blackwell.

Ironically the 7^th child of 9, Blackwell’s beliefs strayed from his ways of life, as his abolitionist path deterred from his occupation as a sugar refiner. He later looked for alternative sugars that were not pick by slaves.

Blackwell’s early liberal views derived from an exposure of humanitarian views held by his family. His father had friends such as William Lloyd Garrison, as he had ties in the nascent abolition movement. His sister was active in the Suffrage movement, much like Stone.

It was the similarity of background that sustained the union of Stone and Blackwell and paved the way for the formation of the American Woman SuffrageAssociation. The association regarded the constitutionality of the 15^th Amendment, the amendment that granted the right to vote despite race, gender, etc. Its members also had staunch roots in antislavery and rights for African-Americans.

Its founding members Stone, Blackwell, Julia Ward, and Josephine Ruffin formed the association as a branch of the National Woman Suffrage Association. Its national chapter had roots in the 14^th and 15^th Amendment, but Stone and the others decided to center on issues that specially dealt with the 15^th Amendment.

Still, the association found much success in its formation, later creating its own magazine, the Woman’s Journal. Its regional chapters duplicated other publications as well and featured illustrations and articles by its members. Stone ever served as Editor.

Despite much success, it appeared not too wise to have two groups fighting for the same cause. After years of much discussion, the American Woman Suffrage Association and the National Woman Suffrage 

Association merged into one Association after 21 years of separate operation.

Recruiting more educated women, and persuading President Wilson in favor of the now 19^th Amendment were among its new strategies. The changes were signs of a rebirth. Its offspring, was the National American Woman Suffrage Association.