Americas Constitutional Enfranchisement of Women Essay

Americas Constitutional Enfranchisement of Women During the course of America’s history, the women’s suffrage movement experienced many dynamics. It is commonly recognized as having been initiated with the women’s involvement in helping black slaves achieve freedom from slavery and overall citizenship rights. Little did these women know that the soon to be instituted 15th amendment would constitutionally enfranchise men of every race and ethnicity, but still exclude them. For those women who had been actively involved in helping the Negroes gain a sympathetic voice, this neglect to acknowledge women in the amendment was nothing less than a heinous outrage. They quickly realized that the governing†¦show more content†¦The wealthier class of women sought a voice in government; such that they could help resolve public â€Å"housekeeping† problems like pollution and poor sewage treatment, which they felt directly affected them in the private sphere and was currently being neglected by men. Not on ly did the women of these times have to reason with men who couldn’t conceive of women being involved in anything outside of the private sphere, but also, these women had to prove that their enfranchisement would be worthwhile for American society as a whole. Elizabeth Cady Stanton, an equal rights suffragist, voiced the popular opinion of the times, stating that black men should not be elevated over â€Å"women of wealth, education, virtue and refinement.† Furthermore, she urged women to not put the fate of society in the hands of the â€Å"lower orders of men.† Though these ideas were largely agreed upon, the concept of enfranchisement quickly split into two arenas: that of social feminism and equal rights feminism. Social feminists were eager to illustrate the kinds of contributions women could make to society as a result of attaining enfranchisement, while equal rights feminists insisted that they should already be allowedShow MoreRelatedThe Cornerstone Of America s Political System1123 Words   |  5 PagesThe cornerstone of America’s political system is the right for citizens to elect their representatives and heads of state through voting. The participation of citizens in America’s political landscap e is what has kept the United States strong for the past two hundred and thirty-eight years. Over the decades, voting has adapted and conformed to times. New political and social ideologies have allowed different ethnics to participate in the electoral process. The idea of one person equaling one voteRead MoreEssay on Hamdi et al. v. Rumsfeld4706 Words   |  19 PagesSecretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld as well as a host of Army and Air Force Generals and policy apparatchiks for allegedly authorizing the use of torture in Afghanistan and Guantanamo Bay. The four were captured in Afghanistan, either by Americans or America’s ally, the Northern Alliance, and transported to Guantanamo Bay in Cuba where they were held for over two years. Their status there was not as enemy combatant, which guaranteed them certain protections under the Geneva Convention, but rather as unlawfulRead MoreOne Significant Change That Has Occurred in the World Between 1900 and 2005. Explain the Impac t This Change Has Made on Our Lives and Why It Is an Important Change.163893 Words   |  656 PagesHartman Strom, Political Woman: Florence Luscomb and the Legacy of Radical Reform Michael Adas, ed., Agricultural and Pastoral Societies in Ancient and Classical History Jack Metzgar, Striking Steel: Solidarity Remembered Janis Appier, Policing Women: The Sexual Politics of Law Enforcement and the LAPD Allen Hunter, ed., Rethinking the Cold War Eric Foner, ed., The New American History. Revised and Expanded Edition E SSAYS ON _ T WENTIETH- C ENTURY H ISTORY Edited by Michael