100th anniversary of the women's suffrage movement

The Daily Cleveland Herald/Thursday, Nov. 25, 1869/Page 2, Saturday April 02, 1870/col E

The Milwaukee Daily Sentinel/Friday May 28,1869/col C

Daily Evening Bulletin/Friday May 20, 1870/col B

Women’s suffrage, commemorative events and figures

By Kacee Letbetter

The women’s suffrage movement, which involved a variety of key events dated in the 1860s, celebrates its 100^th anniversary by commemorating the event in 2013-2014. In my research based on The National Woman Suffrage Association, I observed national coverage of the movement as a whole during that time period.

The Women’s Right Movement, which eventually led to the passage of the nineteenth amendment to the constitution, included key figures and events that contributed to its success in the United States. The NWSA, formed in May 1869, intended to achieve voting rights for women by a means of a congressional amendment to the constitution.  A timeline provides a display of the movement’s contributing events.

“The National Woman’s Suffrage Convention-- the first delegate suffrage convention ever held in the United States—assembled at Case Hall on Wednesday morning.”

                        -The Daily Cleveland Herald, 1869

“At the New England Woman’s Suffrage Convention, yesterday evening, a resolution was adopted instructing the Executive Committee to take measures for the organization of a national woman’s suffrage association.”

                        -Milwaukee Daily Sentinel, 1869

“There are now three societies, one organized in May ’66—the American Equal Rights Association – of which Lucretia Mott is president; another organized in May last—National Woman’s Suffrage Association—of which Elizabeth Cady Stanton is president, and a third organized in Cleveland in November last—American Woman Suffrage Association – of which Henry Ward Bhecher is president.”

                        -The Daily Cleveland Herald, 1870

Although I found several articles that noted the existence of the National Woman Suffrage Association, I also found articles supporting the opposition for the movement.

“If these female suffragists keep on splitting and splitting, they will, by-and-by, get down to smaller proportions than the smallest of all the fleas mentioned by the poet. They have now divided three times, and the chance is more than ever that they will smash up again before the month is over.”

                        -Daily Evening Bulletin, 1870

Women’s suffrage is recognized both historically and currently as Americans celebrate the movement’s 100th anniversary. Newspapers reported on the proceedings of the events that lead to commemorative events in the period.