The woman suffrage movements
The first, the National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA), under the leadership of Carrie Chapman Catt, was a moderate organization. The NAWSA undertook campaigns to enfranchise women in individual states and simultaneously lobbied President Wilson and Congress to pass a woman suffrage Constitutional Amendment. In the 1910s, NAWSA’s membership numbered in the millions.
The second group, the National Woman’s Party (NWP), under the leadership of Alice Paul, was a more militant organization. The NWP undertook radical actions, including picketing the White House, in order to convince Wilson and Congress to pass a woman suffrage amendment.
Instructions:
It is 1900 and you have decided to support the cause of Women’s suffrage. Your character can be a man or a woman. The important choice is which of the two main organizations do you want to join? Will you join the National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA) or the National Woman’s Party (NWP) You should base your choice on the different campaigning strategies of the groups. Do you want to change the system from within through the moderate lobbying of the NAWSA? Or, is it time to force the government to listen with more radical public protests? History tells us that there is no right answer. Men and women supported both groups. In your 1900 era opinion, what is the best way to get women the vote?
You can find a short introduction to the Women’s Suffrage Movement here: https://www.womenshistory.org/resources/general/woman-suffrage-movement
You can find a more in-depth investigation of the Women’s Suffrage Movement produced by the National Women’s History Museum in the United States.
You should first go through the timeline at the bottom of the page: http://www.crusadeforthevote.org
Next, you should explore the primary sources, focusing on those between the Civil War and the 19th Amendment. You will find examples of different types of activism and can start to think about which strategies you find the most interesting. http://www.crusadeforthevote.org/primary-documents-1
After reviewing the material choose a suffrage organization and explain how you want to contribute to the suffrage movement , is worth 50 points and should included
Your background story: name and person circumstances. Are you a man or a woman? Do you have a family or are you unmarried? Think about the profile of a reformer before creating your character. (5 points)
Which of the two main women’s suffrage movement have you decided to join? Make sure to explain your choice and focuses on the different types of social activism used by the NAWSA or NWP. (25 points)
Based on your discussion of social activism in point two, propose an action – march, speech, etc – to further the cause of women’s suffrage. Your course of action must align with the typical actions of the NAWSA or NWP. (20 points)
Note: as this primary source will be a speech
