This morning I wanted to focus on a little American history, in honor of Election Day today, November 6th. This post is something I put together for the last election in 2008, but I still feel as passionately about it this year as I did then and felt that it was important to re-blog it again.
The following is an excerpt from a piece found on the History.com website…
"In the early nineteenth century, women were considered second-class citizens whose existence was limited to the interior life of the home and care of the children. Women were considered sub-sets of their husbands, and after marriage they did not have the right to own property, maintain their wages, or sign a contract, much less vote."
"It was expected that women be obedient wives, never to hold a thought or opinion independent of their husbands. It was considered improper for women to travel alone or to speak in public. With the belief that intense physical or intellectual activity would be injurious to the delicate female biology and reproductive system, women were taught to refrain from pursuing any serious education. Silently perched in their birdcages, women were considered merely objects of beauty, and were looked upon as intellectually and physically inferior to men. This belief in women's inferiority to men was further reinforced by organized religion which preached strict and well-defined sex roles."
"The Women's suffrage movement was formally set into motion in 1848 with the first Women's Rights Convention in Seneca Falls, New York."
"The catalyst for this gathering was the World Anti-Slavery Convention held in 1840 in London and attended by an American delegation which included a number of women. In attendance were Lucretia Mott and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, who were forced to sit in the galleries as observers because they were women. This poor treatment did not rest well with these women of progressive thoughts, and it was decided that they would hold their own convention to "discuss the social, civil and religious rights of women."
"Using the Declaration of Independence as a guideline, Stanton presented her Declaration of Principles in her hometown chapel and brought to light women's subordinate status and made recommendations for change. Resolution 9 requesting the right to vote was perhaps the most important in that it expressed the demand for sexual equality. Subsequent to the Seneca Falls Convention, the demand for the vote became the centerpiece of the women's rights movement."
"Six years later, in 1878, a Woman's Suffrage Amendment was introduced to U.S. Congress. With the formation of numerous groups, the women's movement gained a full head of steam during the 1890's and early 1900's. The U.S. involvement in World War I in 1918 slowed down the suffrage campaign as women pitched in for the war effort. However, in 1919, after years of petitioning, picketing, and protest parades, the Nineteenth Amendment was passed by both houses of Congress and in 1920 it became ratified under the presidency of Woodrow Wilson."
1. The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.
2. Congress shall have power to enforce this Article by appropriate legislation.
Ratified August 26, 1920
I wanted to bring this important piece of history to your attention today to remind you all how important it is to exercise your right to vote. Our ancestors fought so hard to bring women equality and give us a voice in the political decisions that are made in our country. This election especially will be such a close race, and each vote counts! No matter your party or your beliefs, please be sure to visit the polls today. And as you cast your vote remember the women, like Elizabeth Cady Stanton and others that are pictured here. Proudly participate in our democracy and make our ancestors proud!
Don't know where you are supposed to go to vote?
GO HERE and just type in your address to find the exact location you are registered to participate at.
Have questions about poll hours, ID requirements, etc. for your state?
You can visit HERE to find out everything you need to know.
So what are you waiting for?
VOTE!
Great article, thank you! Let’s rock the vote LOL!
What a priviledge to cast my vote today. Thanks for sharing this today, Nicole.
Wonderful post Nichole! Can’t wait to see who the first woman president will be. Heading out to vote soon… and I can’t believe it, but my oldest son will be voting for the first time today. I’m happy for him, even if some of his votes will cancel out mine 🙂
Excellent post, Nichole.
You are not only incredibly talented but also intelligent…my favorite combination. Thank you for your excellent post.
Love this post, thank you Nicole, now there is no woman who will not go to vote.
We had our chances a couple of weeks ago in our country and we will see what it will bring.
Good luck everyone.
Great post, Nichole. I’ve voted.
Thanks for this article…yesterday was the 100th anniversary of women being allowed to vote in my state (Oregon)…our household have all voted & will be watching the results tonight with pizza & root beer!
Just got home from voting! I was #126 in my county. Great post Nichole. And thank you so much for sharing with all of us.
That was a very patriotic post…and much appreciated. Often we need reminders of our important history and you did that, thanks!
Your time and effort spent on this research is much appreciated – those women were so heroic for getting us where we are today. Thank you, thank you for the post.
Thank you for the very important history and reminder to vote.
And I did not know League of Women Voters had the ability to locate my
polling place — easily! Kudos to you
Amen.
The article stated women were looked upon as objects of mere beauty . Most women during that time had very difficult lives. Most women lived in poverty and had many children to try to keep alive. Their hardships should be remembered. Our lives are so easy today. Voting is one of the most important acts we can do.,please make sure to take your children with you so they can learn how important this is to,our country.
Such an important message, Nicole! I went on Thursday to vote “early” this year. It looks like people are really out in force (as it should be) for this election. Thanks for the great information!
Inspiring, isn’t it, that what we take for granted was so passionately and relentlessly fought for by our foremothers. Thanks for the reminders.
Wonderful post, Nicole, and a great reminder of what a great right and privilege it is to vote. Thanks for the reminder of the road traveled by those courageous women who fought for our rights!
Nice Post! And might I add, please, vote not only during presidential election years but in off years, at every opportunity. The smaller the voting constituency, the louder each voting voice.
Here, here!! A democracy does not work well unless citizens participate. We are so blessed to live in this country and have the right to participate. It should not be considered a burden but a cherished privilege.
Thank you Nicole for a wonderful reminder of why this country is so amazing and voting is so important! As a patron said in our library today–elect SOMEONE–VOTE!
Interesting! I had forgotten some of these facts since learning them so many years ago in school. Thanks for sharing the article, and I did vote! Yay !!
I am so very glad you did this. We take for granted our right to vote. Women have only had the right for less than a hundred years. For some of us, we had grandmothers who weren’t allowed to vote. I voted, and I hope all who have read this have voted as well. WRE
Amen! We honor the Suffragettes by voting and also honor those who were denied the right. I am so annoyed when I hear women say ‘I didn’t vote’, followed by an excuse. My generation didn’t fight for the right to vote, but we should never take it for granted. With privilege comes responsibility.
Wonderful post! I didn’t see it until today, because I put in a 15 hour day working as a Judge on Election Day yesterday. I mailed my hand made thank yous to my staff and polling place today–made with Enchanted Evening, Pure Poppy, and Stampers Select White CS of course!
Thank you so much for this important message. As many before me have said, this is not something we should take for granted and should celebrate in our power as a people to help shape our own futures.
Thanks for posting all this Nichole! It’s pretty amazing!
Beautiful post!!!!!
Thank you for the reminder. Many of us had grandmothers and great grandmothers who not only couldn’t vote, but they spent years working for the vote. My grandmother is one example, and I blog on this subject too. suffragewagon.org is about my grandmother’s work. The suffs were “there” for us. Let’s be “there” for them by carrying on their work.
This was interesting. Thanks for reminding me of how important is.
Thanks for putting this together. I hope you will run it again this year, but before you do, please re-edit. It looks like you removed a chunk of the original text, because the 1878 suffrage amendment was not introduced “six years later” after the *first* 1848 Seneca Falls Convention described in the preceding paragraph. (too bad history.com doesn’t have the original at the link you have here anymore).