The Long Fight for Women's Suffrage in the United States

Question

1
Imagine living in the country known as the "home of the free" but not having the most fundamental right in a free society—the right to vote. Women in the United States were in that position for more than one hundred years. They could not vote in political elections until the Nineteenth Amendment was ratified on August 18, 1920. This amendment prohibited denying citizens the right to vote because of their sex. This achievement was the result of the tireless efforts made by several generations of women. Without their hard work and sacrifices, many people would still be deprived of this important right today.

2
The decades-long fight for suffrage, or the right to vote, in the United States began in the mid-19th century. At that time, women did not have many rights. Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott believed that women and men should have equal rights. In 1848, they organized the first women's rights convention in Seneca Falls, New York. During the convention, a list of demands called the Declaration of Sentiments was created. It outlined the primary goals of the women's suffrage movement. The goals included more educational and employment opportunities for women, the right to control their money or property after marriage, and the right to vote.

3
There were two main groups with differing ideas about how to attain those goals. Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony formed the National Women's Suffrage Association (NWSA) in 1869. They did not support the campaign for the Fifteenth Amendment, which would give African American men the right to vote, because it excluded women. Women in the NWSA wrote letters to the federal government. They asked for women to be included in the amendment, but they were denied. Lucy Stone, Julia Ward Howe, and Henry Blackwell started the American Woman Suffrage Association (AWSA) that same year. They supported the Fifteenth Amendment. They used a different strategy. Instead of petitioning the federal government, they went to the states individually. They urged each state government to change their constitutions to give women the right to vote in local and state elections.

4
In 1890, the two groups joined forces and formed the National American Woman Suffrage Association. They, along with the National Association for Colored Women and many others, marched, protested, lobbied, lectured, and practiced civil disobedience for women's voting rights. Some even went on hunger strikes. Many women were punished for their participation in the movement. Activists were yelled at, beaten, and jailed for expressing their views. But the cause finally took a turn in 1917 when President Woodrow Wilson began supporting women's suffrage. Three years later, the Nineteenth Amendment was added to the Constitution, legally giving women the right to vote in all elections.

5
Without the determination of the suffragists, American women would not have voting rights. The efforts of suffragists continue to inspire people today. Many still work to ensure that every citizen's voting rights are protected and that women are given equal pay and equal representation in the workplace and in politics.

Multiple Choice Question
What text structure does the author of the article use to organize paragraph 3?

A.

The author compares and contrasts the beliefs and efforts made by the two main groups during the movement.

B
.

The author persuades the reader that the NWSA accomplished more than the AWSA for the suffrage movement.

C.

The author gives details in chronological order of the work done by the suffragists working toward women’s voting rights.

D
.

The author explains how the passing of the Fifteenth Amendment paved the way for the Nineteenth Amendment to be passed.

Answer 1

A. The author compares and contrasts the beliefs and efforts made by the two main groups during the movement.

Answer 2

Which two choices best explain why the author of the article includes paragraph 4?

A.

to describe why the main groups of suffragists decided to work together

B
.

to list the specific tactics used by the suffragists to accomplish their goal

C.

to give details about President Wilson’s decision to support women's suffrage

D
.

to supply evidence to support the claim that women suffragists inspire people today

E
.

to illustrate how the suffragists interacted with different government groups for the cause

F.

to show how the suffragists were treated by other people during their fight for voting rights