August 18, 1920: the day that the 19th Amendment to the Constitution was ratified. After more than 70 years of struggle during the women’s suffrage movement, the day finally came; their goal was finally achieved. Many factors contributed to the ratification of this amendment that gave women the right to vote. Some of those factors include the Seneca Falls Convention, which started the entire movement, and the strenuous efforts of suffrage groups, such as the National Women Suffrage Association and the American Women Suffrage Association (History.com staff, "The Fight for Women’s Suffrage"). Around the time of the peak of the women’s suffrage movement, World War I began. The war, too, played an extremely significant role in the ratification
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Although the United States was only in the war for less than two years, more than 25% of the country’s population of men between the ages of 18 and 31 served in the war. Many of these men served in foreign countries, leaving the women behind to fend for themselves. In addition, the United States was utterly unprepared to participate in such a large conflict, with the lowest number of men ready to fight since the Civil War (Yockelson). At this time, however, the women defied the codes of gender by taking on responsibilities previously reserved for men (Gavin …show more content…
During most of his presidency, Wilson was preoccupied with the issue of war, and did not pay much attention to the suffrage movement, and was, at some points, rather hostile toward it. After being more exposed to the lengths women were going to to promote the movement, however, his attitude toward the issue changed. He began to speak in favor of the suffrage movement after a group of women had brought up not only the contributions many women had made to the war, but the support they had given to their sons and husbands who had served as well (History.com staff, "President Woodrow Wilson Speaks in Favor of Female Suffrage"). President Wilson said, “The services of women during this supreme crisis of the world’s history have been of the most signal usefulness and distinction. The war could not have been fought without them, or its sacrifices endured. It is time that some part of our debt of gratitude to them should be acknowledged and paid” (The New York Times
Although the United States was only in the war for less than two years, more than 25% of the country’s population of men between the ages of 18 and 31 served in the war. Many of these men served in foreign countries, leaving the women behind to fend for themselves. In addition, the United States was utterly unprepared to participate in such a large conflict, with the lowest number of men ready to fight since the Civil War (Yockelson). At this time, however, the women defied the codes of gender by taking on responsibilities previously reserved for men (Gavin …show more content…
During most of his presidency, Wilson was preoccupied with the issue of war, and did not pay much attention to the suffrage movement, and was, at some points, rather hostile toward it. After being more exposed to the lengths women were going to to promote the movement, however, his attitude toward the issue changed. He began to speak in favor of the suffrage movement after a group of women had brought up not only the contributions many women had made to the war, but the support they had given to their sons and husbands who had served as well (History.com staff, "President Woodrow Wilson Speaks in Favor of Female Suffrage"). President Wilson said, “The services of women during this supreme crisis of the world’s history have been of the most signal usefulness and distinction. The war could not have been fought without them, or its sacrifices endured. It is time that some part of our debt of gratitude to them should be acknowledged and paid” (The New York Times