Women's Suffrage Movement and the Nineteenth Amendment

Women's Suffrage Movement and the Nineteenth Amendment
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Introduction
The history of every society is usually shrouded with various instances of inequality and gradual development. The modern society is a product of continuous improvement and advancement on past deficiencies. Amongst the most important developments was the women’s suffrage. Granting women equal rights to vote highlighted the realization that women also needed to be recognized as important players in decision-making. The passage of the ninth amendment essentially meant that there was no more disenfranchisement of women and that they now had the right to not only speak for themselves but also agitate for more. The passage of the 19th Amendment that granted women suffrage still remains one of the most significant political mobilization moments in the history of the U.S. As successful and significant as it was, the suffragists challenged the balance of power at that time and clearly brought about new insights into the American political system. This paper critically evaluates the issue of how many states denied women the right to cast a vote because of profoundly ingrained cultural norms, fears of disrupting the existing power structure, and political resistance, while women's suffrage was legalized in some states because of a combination of progressive reform efforts, strategic state-level campaigns, and regional variations in attitudes towards gender equality.
Women's suffrage
Women's suffrage in the US was a long and difficult fight for gender equity in the realm of voting rights. The movement looked to challenge the historical cultural norms and correct a historical omission from the Constitution. While the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Constitutional Corrections allowed freedoms to African American men, they did not extend similar rights to American women. Thus, advocates for women's suffrage were divided by various strategies, some aiming to get casting right one state at a time, while others pushed for a Constitutional change. At last, in 1920, the Nineteenth Amendment granted all American women full democratic privileges, the right to vote (DuBois, 1998). It resulted in a sudden significant increase in the number of voters across the country, since the ratio of men to omen as almost the same and made the political arena more inclusive and competitive for everyone.
The denial of women's suffrage can be attributed to many compelling factors. The factors include deeply ingrained societal norms, which influenced greatly. The predominant man-centric belief system and the customary role of women as homemakers and caretakers led to resistance against giving them the right to cast a ballot. Also, many feared that women casting a vote could upset the current power structure, as it challenged the status quo where men held a large portion of the political power. On the other hand, the course of the women's suffrage movement was marked by relentless activism and advocacy. Key members in this movement included Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, who played a key role in organizing the S...