Women's Rights

It was a long and difficult struggle for women to gain the right to vote in the United States. Equality between the sexes has been an issue for centuries, not just in modern times. A British author even wrote in 1792, "The Vindication of the Rights of Women" because she felt that women were not treated equally. The modern day struggle was kicked off though in 1848. This was the year of the first women's rights convention, …

…mainstream politics. During this time, two organizations, the National Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA), and the National Woman's Party (NWP) evolved. One group was aimed at moderate, mainstream women, emphasizing motherhood and social service, while the other was directed toward more radical feminists and stressed equality. This powerful new political culture promoted women's incorporation into the public life of the nation, and proved a significant tactic that propelled suffrage to final pass by congress on June 14, 1919.