Women’s Issues

Temperance Women’s Christian Temperance Union 1916 18th Amendment 19 states 18th Amendment 1919 Prohibition

Suffrage The Big One

Opposition Many men, and some women, were against suffrage Many thought it would upset society’s “Natural Balance,” and lead to divorce and neglected children.

How Did They Fight For Suffrage? National Women’s Party picketing in front of the Whitehouse (July, 1917) Suffrage Parade in New York (May 6, 1912) Magazine, National Women’s Party

Victory in the West New Western States started to allow suffrage Wyoming led the nation and was first to let women vote in 1890. Between 1910 and 1913, five other states adopted woman suffrage. By 1919, women could vote in most elections.

Fight for an Amendment By 1917, New York granted suffrage and the national tide began to turn. The senate passed the 19th Amendment in 1919, which game women the right to vote. President Wilson passed it in fear he would lose national support. (At the time World War I was taking place)

Birth Control Emma Goldman: A fiery orator and a gifted writer, she became a passionate advocate of freedom of expression, sexual freedom and birth control, equality and independence for women, radical education, union organization and workers' rights. Arrested over 40 times for dangerous and obscene statements Her fight for free speech http://www.jwa.org/exhibits/wov/goldman/

Margaret Sanger 1911 “What Every Girl Should Know” a column on sex education in NY Socialist paper The Call 1 issued on VD barred by postal officials Advertised birth control 1916 opened a birth control clinic – 1 month in jail Her legacy: many arrests and prosecutions, and the resulting outcries, helped lead to changes in laws giving doctors the right to give birth control advice (and later, birth control devices) to patients. In her words “No woman can call herself free who does not own and control her body. No woman can call herself free until she can choose consciously whether she will or will not be a mother. “ “When motherhood becomes the fruit of a deep yearning, not the result of ignorance or accident, its children will become the foundation of a new race. “ Controversial Criticized for saying working families shouldn’t have more than two children – seen as supporting eugenics or social darwinism Seen as a precursor of abortion advocates