The 19th Amendment, NAWSA, and NYSWSA

In 2020 the United States will be celebrating 100 years since the passage of the 19th amendment, which allowed for women in the United States to vote. We here at the New York’s Society of Women feel it is our duty to share historical information about the battle nationally and within New York for women and their right to vote. Although the right to vote was perhaps one of the most important steps for womankind, even 100 years later women are still fighting for other rights to ensure full equality. We need to look back and celebrate the women who came before us, and learn from them as we move forward in our fight.

New York’s Society of Women aims to teach women and girls the importance of not staying silent. Our mission is to educate the public on different historical accomplishments of women in various fields and to show the importance of being activists. This Story Map is intended for anyone who has an interest in learning about the suffrage movement within the United States However, it is especially geared towards women as we continue to learn about our past and make plans for future steps.

In regard to history of the women's suffrage movement, almost everyone knows about the Seneca Falls Convention and the work of early suffragists. They also immediately think about the 19th Amendment. However, people often do not know about the work in-between. This Story Map focuses particularly on the in-between period from 1890 to 1920. This is due to a lack of knowledge, but also because this was when the women’s suffrage movement began to become a prominent issue as well as when the movement began to advocate for causes other than just suffrage like economic equality for women. This broadening of focus garnered more members for the movement as well as made the issue of women's suffrage touch more people than ever before. During this period, the number of women working in the United States increased from 2.6 million to 7.8 million and yet women still struggled to be paid equal to their male counterparts (Progressive Era, n.d.). The women's suffrage movement initially was geared towards middle and upper class white women, but then they slowly collaborated with working women and grew in size and scope. However, the movement still remained largely oriented towards middle and upper class white women.

Prior to the passage of the 19th Amendment, some states allowed women to vote on full equal grounds as men. These states included California, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Washington, and Wyoming. Before the passage of the 19th Amendment, approximately three million women had the vote on an equal basis to men (Stapler, 1917). Initially, the suffragists in the United States believed in “the slow process of evolution rather than the harsh measures of revolution” as stated in the thirtieth annual convention of the National American Woman's Suffrage Association (NAWSA, 1898). However, their position on this changed as time went on and younger, more educated women began to use more aggressive tactics (Mintz, 2007). As younger women became involved in the suffrage movement and the movement as a whole became more aggressive, more attention was brought to the movement. There was also a general shift in the thinking of American people. This is not to say that everyone advocated for suffrage since men and women alike differed in opinion, but rather that people began to see a different future. One such woman who advocated for more aggressive tactics was Alice Paul who included picketing, marching, rallies, and hunger strikes in jail as a part of her methods. Regardless of approach, eventually the battle of the suffragists was won when the United States became the 27th country to allow women to vote (Mintz, 2007).

One of the most important steps to achieving the vote was to have a national organization to get suffragists on the same page. This came to be through the National American Woman's Suffrage Association (NAWSA). NAWSA took on a state-by-state approach to suffrage, and as a result their annual conventions were extremely important in bringing together suffragists across the nation together. Their annual conventions allowed women to get together and give invigorating speeches that encouraged change and made them capable of making plans for future progress to be completed by the next convention. At the end of each convention, there was a general game plan as well as new officers and people in charge of different standing committees for the year. An example can be found in the program book for the 35th annual convention of NAWSA in 1903 in New Orleans, Louisiana (NAWSA, 1903).

NAWSA was founded in 1869 as two organizations that later merged to form one. One organization was called the National Woman Suffrage Association and it was founded by Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony. The other organization was called the American Woman Suffrage Association and it was founded by Lucy Stone, Julia Ward Howe, and a few others (Stapler, 1917). The two organizations competed against one another but later merged to become NAWSA. NAWSA featured key suffragettes in high positions within the organization like Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony, Carrie Chapman Catt, Anna Howard Shaw, and others who dedicated their lives to the cause (NAWSA, 1898 & NAWSA 1903). More than just a place to exercise their desire for suffrage, NAWSA's standing committees focused on different areas of interest like Congressional Work, Presidential Suffrage, Railroad Rates, Federal Suffrage, and the Press (all capitalized according to the NAWSA convention program book of 1903). Their conventions were time for the committees, members, and interested parties to come together and share ideas, progress, and make future plans.

Outside of their conventions, NAWSA provided key support to various efforts for suffrage and other causes as well. One such example is outlined in their 1917 edition of The Woman Suffrage Yearbook, which was printed after NAWSA members realized the importance of publishing and distributing literature (Stapler, 1917). Among other things, the yearbook outlines which states have given women the right to vote and in what capacity, what countries have allowed women to vote and in what capacity, as well as a fact list that provides an array of facts. More than just information, the yearbook showed progress in NAWSA and their work. Women refused to back down and they kept fighting for the right to vote.

In addition to the fact sheet, the 1917 edition also interestingly enough shows the shifting focus of NAWSA to efforts outside of suffrage work by including in their fact list what states have passed minimum working age laws and what states have eight hour working day laws for women. The 1917 book also notes of plans made from 1890 onwards to push for educational work, campaigns on amendments to state constitutions, and submission to Congress an amendment to the Constitution. This shows how NAWSA focused on more than just suffrage, as women's rights were human rights and therefore touched all aspects of human life. NAWSA along with other organizations had to fight for equality in more than just one area. Progress in one field is progress in all.

The 1917 yearbook also lays claim to several accomplishments of NAWSA, showing their progress towards the eventual 19th Amendment.

• First, NAWSA notes that the organization recognizes over 63 suffrage organizations in 45 states, showing its commitment to working with state organizations to push for change.
• Second, NAWSA, helped enfranchise women in 11 states by constitutional amendment and minor suffrage for women in 20 states.
• Third, NAWSA published and distributed several million leaflets to campaign for the cause, making the enfranchisement of women a, "political issue and the most discussed question of the day" (Stapler, 1917).
• Fourth, and one of their most important accomplishments up until that point (1917), was drafting an amendment for Congress in 1878 to allow women the right to vote.

"A few years ago public interest was directed toward Woman Suffrage as an issue in but a limited number of States. To-day public interest is directed toward it as an approaching issue throughout the United States." Martha G. Stapler, Editor of the 1917 NAWSA Yearbook

In addition to their efforts for suffrage, NAWSA made great strides in the fight for economic equality, an issue dear to the organization. The 1917 yearbook, a key source of information, noted that in states where women had suffrage, more child labor laws were passed, work conditions were improved or at least inspected, and other labor-related laws were passed to protect workers. NAWSA worked alongside other organizations to pass the Keating-Owen Act that aimed to stop child labor. It was passed in 1916 by Congress (Stapler, 1917).

The importance of the annual conventions of NAWSA as a meeting point for massive change cannot be overlooked as these conventions brought about plans and actions for the future. Below is a map of the locations of NAWSA conventions from 1898 to 1910.

New York played an important role in NAWSA, as the birthplace, place of business, and place of activity. Rochester was the place where most of the work of NAWSA was carried out until 1895 and after that a headquarters building was eventually opened in New York as the headquarters for several years (Stapler, 1917).

Outside of NAWSA, New York was a key player in the fight for suffrage. As with many other states, New York had its own suffrage organization called New York State Woman Suffrage Association (NYSWSA) that hosted their own conventions annually. These conventions were similar in format to NAWSA’s conventions and were attended by key suffragists. As of 1904, NYSWSA had a paid membership of 3,314 people with 88 clubs affiliated with NYSWSA (New York Suffrage Newsletter, 1904). NYSWSA also boasted of a membership that included the likes of Susan B. Anthony and Carrie Chapman Catt, both of New York. of A badge from one of their conventions can be seen to the left.

"The advocates of female Suffrage have always been most numerous in the State of New York, where the movement originated, and where the first steps in liberal legislation began in 1848, by giving to married women their rights of property, the State where the most persistent agitation has been kept up from 1846 to this day..." (NAWSA, 1884)

New York had quite the battle for suffrage, despite being a hotbed of activity. Although not unique, New York suffragists had the displeasure of fighting against the New York State Association Opposed to Woman Suffrage. For example, at a meeting of the Judiciary Committee of the Legislature in Albany, members were going to hear people speak about letting women have the vote. In addition to representatives from NYSWSA speaking, there were two separate groups of anti-suffragists who also spoke in opposition (1909). Although today we see New York as one of the most liberal states, it was not always the case. It shows how woman’s suffrage was an issue that went past party lines, and it rather was a highly divisive topic among men and women alike. Below is a map of the annual conventions of NYSWSA from 1987 to 1910. The locations were spread across the state, drawing in various participants. Below that is a photo of some of the attendees of the NYSWSA convention of 1910.

New York was one of the few states to give women the vote prior to 1920. NYSWSA concentrated on local victories rather than statewide victories, so their accomplishments are many and local, thus harder to list. Through the efforts of county-wide members and state legislation, many women had partial suffrage in New York. In New York, the partial suffrage applied to tay-paying women. They were allowed to vote on taxes and bonds. However, NYSWSA's most prominent victory was statewide. On November 6th, 1917 New York gave full suffrage to women and became the 12th state to do so (Bjorkman & Porritt, 1917).

"It now has the proud satisfaction of having achieve its purpose and finished its work. It has bequeathed to American women an opportunity, a dignity and liberty which in 1848 were a dream in the minds only of a few. With this final report one of the most unique and significant chapters of American history is closed." - Carrie Chapman Catt in NAWSA's final report in 1921

After the passage of the 19th Amendment in 1920, NAWSA became the National League of Women Voters to remove "remaining discriminations against women in the codes and constitutions of the several states" and it still exists today (Smith, 1929). The National League of Women Voters continues to promote the female vote and political activism.

However, the 19th Amendment did not solve all issues, especially issues of race. NAWSA was made up of primarily white, middle and upper-class women from the North. Therefore, they represented an entirely different kind of woman than women of the South, or women of color. NAWSA and other suffragist organizations had a history of being racist to appease Southern members as well as their own cause. The 19th Amendment did not solve this tension. Tensions ebbed and flowed as time went on between the white and colored suffragists. To combat this, there were suffragist organizations focused on getting the vote for colored women like the National Association for Colored Women. After the passage of the 19th Amendment, which prohibited discrimination based on gender, white women were able to vote far easier than women of color. Women of color, just like men of color, were subject to Jim Crow laws. Thus for women of color, their hard work in gaining suffrage continued as they had to fight and bypass the Jim Crow laws that restricted them from voting (Harley, n.d.). For women of color, their fight did not simply stop after the passage of the 19th Amendment. They continued to fight on a different stage.

The 19th Amendment was a huge step forward for women, but it did not solve everything. In the years since women have exercised their voices and their votes for countless issues that range from Civil Rights to body autonomy. This fight continues today as our country continues to change and shift. Below are some Supreme Court Cases and Legislation that have focused on improving the rights of women.

• Reed v. Reed (1971)
• Roe v. Wade (1973)
• Corning Glass Works v. Brennan (1974)
• Los Angeles Department of Water and Power v. Manhart (1978)
• Arizona Governing Committee v. Norris (1983)
• M.L.B. v. S.L.J. (1996)
• Lewis v. City of Chicago (2010)
• Young v. United Parcel Services, Inc. (2015)

• Equal Pay Act of 1963
• Civil Rights Act of 1964
• Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act (2005)
• Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act (2009)

The New York Society of Women is proud to be a part of the heritage that has led us to where we are today. We also are looking forward to what we must do in the future to ensure our rights. One of the most important steps is to be active in politics. Protest, make your voice heard, and most of all, fight for what you believe in. Never back down. If the leaders of the past backed down, we would not be where we are today. Fight for the people of the future and their rights as well as your own.

All material for this Story Map have been obtained from the Library of Congress' NAWSA collection with the exception of a few materials that the NAWSA collection lacked information about.

(1904, November). New York Suffrage Newsletter, 5(11). Syracuse, NY. Retrieved from  https://www.loc.gov/resource/rbcmil.scrp2000602/?sp=1 

(1909, February 24). Women in Albany in Ballot Battle. New York Times, p. 2. Retrieved from  https://www.loc.gov/resource/rbcmil.scrp5009101/?sp=2 

Bjorkman, F. M. & Porritt, A. G. (eds.) (1917). “The Blue Book” Woman Suffrage: History, Arguments, and Results. New York, NY: National Woman Suffrage Publishing Co., Inc. Retrieved from  https://www.loc.gov/resource/rbnawsa.n4862/?sp=4 

Harley, S. (n.d.). African American Women and the Nineteenth Amendment. National Park Service. Retrieved from  https://www.nps.gov/articles/african-american-women-and-the-nineteenth-amendment.htm#_edn4 

Mintz, S. (2007). The Passage of the Nineteenth Amendment. OAH Magazine of History, 21(3), 47-50. doi:  https://doi-org.proxy-um.researchport.umd.edu/10.1093/maghis/21.3.47 

National American Woman Suffrage Association. (1884). Report of the Sixteenth Annual Washington Convention. Washington, D.C., March 4-7, 1884. Retrieved from  https://www.loc.gov/resource/rbnawsa.n8341/?sp=1 

National American Woman Suffrage Association. (1898). Thirtieth Annual Convention and Fiftieth Anniversary Celebration of the National American Woman Suffrage Association. Washington, D.C., February 14 – 19, 1898. Retrieved from  https://www.loc.gov/item/rbcmiller001319/ 

National American Woman Suffrage Association. (1903). The Thirty-Fifth Annual Convention of the National American Woman Suffrage Association. March 9-25. Retrieved from  https://www.loc.gov/resource/rbcmil.scrp1011901/?sp=1 

National American Woman Suffrage Association. (1921). Handbook of the National American Woman Suffrage Association and Proceedings of the Convention held at Cleveland, Ohio. Retrieved from  https://www.loc.gov/item/93838345/ 

Progressive Era to New era, 1900 – 1929: Women’s Suffrage in the Progressive Era (n.d.). Retrieved from  http://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/presentationsandactivities/presentations/timeline/progress/suffrage/ 

Smith, E. M. (1929). Toward Equal Rights for Men and Women. Washington, D.C.: Committee on the Legal Status of Women National League of Women Voters. Retrieved from  https://www.loc.gov/resource/rbnawsa.n2783/?sp=1 

Stapler, M (ed.) (1917). The Woman Suffrage Year Book – 1917. New York, NY: National Woman Suffrage Publishing Company, Inc. Retrieved from  https://www.loc.gov/resource/rbnawsa.n7468/?sp=1