Women's suffrage in the United States

• Engels
• MBO
• Studiejaar 2

The United States

Last week: History

Today: Women's side of the story

What comes to mind when you hear 'Women's suffrage'?

Lesson goals for today

1. At the end of this lesson, you can explain the importance of the 19th amendment in relation to women’s rights in America.

2. At the end of this lesson, you can answer questions related to a video about women’s suffrage and the 19th amendment.

3. At the end of this lesson, you can form your own opinion in English regarding equality between men and women.

Colonial women in America (1700's)

• They had responsibilities: Raising Children - House Keeping - Working in the fields or with animals.
• No legal status as individuals.
• Most couldn't read or write (they had no reason to).
• Therefore, not many stories about women during those times.

Martha Ballard's diary

• Started writing in 1785
• Midwife and healer
• She described some horrors of that time for women
• Unfaithful and violent husbands
• Terrible conditions women had to give birth in 

19th century

• Full of female pioneers
• Abigail Adams: wrote a letter to her husband (founding father John Adams): "remember the ladies, be kind and gentle to them, if not we will start a riot."
• Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott - The first women's rights convention in 1848 in New York.
• Declaration of Sentiments

The 19th Amendment

•  Passed in 1920 (!) 
• Granting women the right to vote

The woman, in the beginning, states that the phrase “women got the right to vote” was not correct. Why did she say that?

Why did men think women didn’t need the vote?

When did American women first start to speak up?

What did the declaration of Sentiments list?

What was a major turning point for the suffragettes, and why?

Women and men are being treated equally nowadays.

Yes

No

Discuss for 10 minutes

Everyone who voted yes: To the left

Everyone who voted no: To the right

Now try to come up with reasons (in English) why you voted yes/no

Work in groups of 3/4

Discussion 

Every round takes 2 minutes. State your most important arguments. Then the opposite side may respond.

Revision

Women's suffrage - History - the 19th Amendment - equal rights for men and women. 

Next week

Black women's suffrage