First Wave Movement

The very first women's rights convention was held in 1848 in Seneca Falls, New York. 68 women and 32 men signed a Declaration of Sentiments after two days of discussion. The Declaration outlined grievances and a set of 12 resolutions were used in calling for equal treatment of men and women, along with voting rights for women.

The First Wave Movement was focused primarily on women's suffrage. This meant that women were fighting for their right to vote and the right to run for political offices. This wave took place during the 19th Century to the early 20th Century.

In May 1869, two women named Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton formed the National Woman Suffrage Association (NWSA). This organization's goal was to gain women's voting rights through a Congressional amendment to the Constitution. Later that year, in November, the American Woman Suffrage Association was formed by Lucy Stone, Henry Blackwell and others. The AWSA focused on gaining woman's voting rights through amendments to individual state constitutions. In December, Wyoming passed the first woman's suffrage law. The next year women began serving on juries.

Later in 1890 both the NWSA and the AWSA merged to create the National American Woman Suffrage Association("Library of Congress American Memory").

Suffragists also fought against prostitution. Some suffragist activists worked in the Chinatown section of NY and other cities to rescue young white and Chinese girls from forced prostitution. In 1910 they also helped pass the Mann Act, which made interstate sex trafficking a federal crime.

During 1913, Alice Paul and Lucy Burns formed the Congressional Union, which was later renamed the National Women's Party. This group worked for the passage of a federal amendment to give women the vote.

In August 1917, ten suffragists were arrested for picketing the White House. They were there to pressure President Woodrow Wilson to support the "Anthony amendment"; a proposed amendment that if supported by Wilson would be added to the Constitution and would guarantee women the right to vote.("Library of Congress American Memory")

Go to: Bad Romance: Women's Suffrage

Finally in 1920, the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution was signed into law. This amendment granted women the right to vote.("Modern History Sourcebook")