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.

Two-Part Question
Multiple Choice Question
The following question has two parts. First, answer Part A. Then, answer Part B.

Part A:

What do both the article and the story reveal about the women’s suffrage movement?

A.
The Nineteenth Amendment was added to the Constitution in 1920.

B.
The fight for women to gain the right to vote lasted a very long time.

C.
During American elections, often only male candidates run for high political positions.

D.
During the time of the women’s suffrage movement, African American men were also fighting for voting rights.

Multiple Select Question
Part B:

Which two sentences from the texts best support the correct answer in Part A? Choose one option for the article and one option for the story.

A.
Women in the United States were in that position for more than one hundred years. (paragraph 1 from the article)

B.
This achievement was the result of the tireless efforts made by several generations of women. (paragraph 1 from the article)

C.
Three years later, the Nineteenth Amendment was added to the Constitution, legally giving women the right to vote in all elections. (paragraph 4 from the article)

D.
Some students discussed the women suffragists who fought for decades to be seen as equal to men in the eyes of the law. (paragraph 8 from the story)

E.
They described how their activism led to the passing of the Nineteenth Amendment. (paragraph 8 from the story)

F.
They explained that the amendment made it illegal to deny someone the right to vote based on their sex, so the girls should not be denied the right to run just because they were female.

Answer 1

Part A:

The answer for Part A is:

B. The fight for women to gain the right to vote lasted a very long time.

This option reflects the long and arduous nature of the suffrage movement as discussed in the article.

Part B:

The two sentences that best support the answer in Part A are:

A. Women in the United States were in that position for more than one hundred years. (paragraph 1 from the article)
This sentence directly emphasizes the lengthy struggle for voting rights.

D. Some students discussed the women suffragists who fought for decades to be seen as equal to men in the eyes of the law. (paragraph 8 from the story)
This sentence highlights the perseverance of suffragists over many years, reinforcing the length of the fight.

Thus, the correct sentences are A and D.