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Approximately 100 years ago, men and women gathered at rallies and demonstrations around the country to voice their support for women’s right to vote in elections—also known as “women’s suffrage.” This “Votes for Women” pennant is part of The Children’s Museum collection and was carried at one of the demonstrations.
Women's suffrage "Votes for Women" pennant from The Children's Museum collection.
This sounds pretty strange in the year 2020, doesn’t? Of course women should be able to vote. The right of each citizen to vote is the backbone of a representative government. But that wasn’t always the case.
The Seneca Falls Convention—and beyond
In July 1848, the Seneca Falls Convention gathered in Seneca Falls, New York. This two-day assembly was made up of six different sessions that covered a variety of topics surrounding the role of women in society. It has become known as the first women’s rights convention.
Many of the women and men who participated in the convention signed a document that was modeled after the Declaration of Independence—the Declaration of Sentiments. The Declaration outlined a list of rights that American women should have as U.S. citizens, including property rights, inequality in education and employment opportunities, representation in government, and the right to vote.
Two weeks later, the Rochester Women’s Rights Convention met in nearby Rochester, New York. The people who attended that convention announced their agreement with the Declaration of Sentiments. Similar conventions began to pop up in the region. Groups began to form. A movement was gaining momentum.
Then the Civil War happened. Everyone focused on ending slavery and preserving the Union.
Susan B. Anthony signature from The Children’s Museum collection.
United States v. Susan B. Anthony
After the Civil War ended, Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton formed a new group—the National Woman Suffrage Association (NWSA). They had decided it was time for everyone to be able to vote. While Anthony and Stanton had continued to speak up for women’s rights during the mid 1800s, their message began to spread throughout the country after the Civil War.
During the presidential election of 1872, members of the NWSA decided it was time to put election laws to the test. Susan B. Anthony and 14 other women arrived at their precinct and convinced the authorities to allow them to vote. Less than two weeks later, Anthony was arrested for illegally voting. This was exactly what Anthony wanted. She hoped to prove that because she was a U.S. citizen, the Constitution guaranteed her the right to vote.
The press closely followed United States v. Susan B. Anthony. Although she had gone on a pre-trial speaking tour throughout the county, arguing that she had a right to vote as a U.S. citizen, the cards were stacked against her. Although it was common to have two judges preside over federal cases, this trial only had one judge. He did not allow Anthony to speak to her own defense. It was only after the judge told the all-male jury that they had to deliver a guilty verdict was she allowed to address the court. The judge also blocked her from appealing to the Supreme Court.*
Suffragists had to change their strategy. It was clear the courts were not going to rule that the Constitution granted women the right to vote. So it was time to change the law.
Susan B. Anthony worked the rest of her life pursuing equality for women. When she died at the age of 86, she still did not have the right to vote. But she helped pave the way. On Aug. 18, 1920—14 years after she died—the nation ratified what had been nicknamed the “Susan B. Anthony Amendment.”
Women were finally given the right to vote.
A long journey
It took more than 70 years after the Seneca Falls Convention for women’s suffrage to become law throughout the country. Now, 100 years later, we honor and celebrate the women who blazed the trail. On Election Day, many people visit Susan B. Anthony’s gravestone. Some leave letters. Some leave flowers. Others leave their “I voted” stickers. It’s a beautiful testament to the power of a woman’s voice.
DanielPenfield / CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)
Dream big dreams
The 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment reminds us that there’s no limit to what girls can do and what they can be. Through exhibits like BarbieTM You Can Be AnythingTM: The Experience and The Power of Children®, The Children’s Museum stands with the women who blazed the trail to advance women's equality, reminding young girls—and boys—that there is no limit to what girls can become.
You can dream big dreams. The museum will continue to inspire, empower, and celebrate the dreams of all children.
* If you’re interested in learning more about this landmark trial, consider attending The Verdict, a mock re-trial of Susan B. Anthony, produced by The Children’s Museum. Click here for more information.
