- Leaders in the women's rights movement.women"s statue image by jimcox40 from Fotolia.com
The women's rights movement in the United States took place from 1848 to 1920. This movement was a fight for social justice for women who felt their rights were being neglected. The movement was born out of abolitionism because many men didn't want women having an active role in the abolitionist movement. Through the hard work and dedication of many women, Congress passed the women's suffrage amendment in 1920, giving women the right to vote. - Susan B. Anthony was born in 1829 in Massachusetts. Anthony began her career as a teacher in 1846 and soon after began campaigning for better wages for women involved in education. As she continued her role as an educator, she also joined the American Anti-Slavery Society in 1856. In 1863, Anthony started the Women's National Loyal League and began touring the country and making speeches for women and African-American citizenship and the right to vote. She faced strong opposition as well as angry mobs and threats everywhere she went. Anthony become president of the National American Woman Suffrage Association in the 1890s and began to force colleges and universities to offer coeducation and equality among male and female students. Anthony died in 1906, but her impact was felt for years afterward. In 1920, the 19th Amendment gave women the right to vote, and it became known as the Susan B. Anthony Amendment.
- Lucy Stone was born in 1818 and is well-known for her advocacy against slavery and support for women's rights. Stone was the first woman to earn a college degree in Massachusetts. Through various organizations and associations, such as the Woman's National Loyal League and Women's Right Convention, Stone worked to abolish slavery in the United States. She continued her work and helped form the American Woman Suffrage Association, which fought for a woman's right to vote. With her husband and daughter, she formed the Woman's Journal, which was an influential newspaper promoting women's rights. Stone died in 1893.
- Sojourner Truth was born into slavery in 1797 and was considered an anti-slavery and women's rights activist. She was a member and supported many organizations, including the Northampton Association of Education and Industry, which fought for religious tolerance, women's rights, abolitionism and pacifism. She gave various speeches and campaigned on the Union's behalf during the Civil War. She also persuaded the federal government to offer land to former slaves in the West. Truth died in 1883 at the age of 86.
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