Defining Documents in American History:

What now seems like a basic right for all citizens, the right to vote was not always afforded to American women. The fight to attain this right started in 1848 with the Seneca Falls Convention, the first convention about women’s rights to be held in the U.S., and took until the 19th Amendment was passed in 1920 to achieve at the federal level. Various states granted women the right to vote in the interim.

The women’s suffrage movement gained traction in the early 1900s, with activist tactics such as lobbying, marching, and public speaking being employed to bring the concerns of women to a national audience. The movement was not without opposition, with many men concerned about how granting women the right to vote would change the social order, but the successful legacy of the movement remains as a source of inspiration for activists today. This two-volume set traces the history of the women’s suffrage movement from its early beginnings, the Seneca Falls Convention, the forming of women’s suffrage associations, the gaining of voting rights at the state level, the election of Jeannette Rankin as the first woman in Congress, the support of President Woodrow Wilson, and finally the passing of the 19th Amendment. The material is organized into curated sections, each beginning with a brief introduction that examines the importance of the topic through a variety of historical documents. The documents contained within these sections provide an overview of the history and significance of each step in the fight to achieve the right to vote for women, and the wider ramifications felt not only in regards to women’s rights, but society as a whole. Documents examined include legislation, historical accounts, speeches, treatises, court cases, news articles, and more