Jose Balderrama HIST 202 Mr. Son Mai 30 November 2012 Civil Rights and omen!

s Rights in "meri#a omen are

omen $la% an im$ortant role in so#iet%. The% are mothers& da'ghters& and (ives.

the base o) the )amil% and the most im$ortant $illar o) ea#h home. *'ring the earl% 20th #ent'r% (omen in the +nited States reali,ed the% needed a better $osition in so#iet%. omen deserved their rights not

onl% be#a'se ever% $erson has e-'al #onditions& b't also the% sho'ld be able to ma.e their o(n de#isions (itho't being /'dged. "s a res'lt& (omen #reated movements to )ight )or their rights. Movements a$$eared d'ring the earl% 20th #ent'r% and bet(een the1010s and 1020s. 3ven tho'gh these t(o movements (ere )ighting )or (omen!s rights in the #o'ntr%& the (omen that (ere $art o) ea#h movement demonstrated di))eren#es bet(een these t(o movements b% their o$inions and a#tions.

The )irst movement )o#'sed in a$$roa#hing legal e-'alit% bet(een men and (omen.

omen

(anted to a$$roa#h legal e-'alit% thro'gh the right to vote (hi#h later on (as obtained thro'gh the 10th amendment. 3li,abeth Cad% Stanton not onl% (anted to gain the right to vote )or (omen& b't also she (anted to )ind a ne( role )or (omen in so#iet%. She tho'ght (omen sho'ld be able ma.e their o(n de#isions. She said& 4The strongest reason (h% (e as. )or a (oman voi#e 567 is be#a'se o) her birthright to sel)8sovereignt%9 be#a'se& as an individ'al she m'st rel% on hersel): ;3li,abeth Cad% Stanton 1<=. This sho(s that (omen sho'ld have had the $o(er to a#t a##ording to their $rin#i$les and be allo(ed to a #om$lete ed'#ation& o(n $ro$ert%& $oliti#al e-'alit%& and a voi#e to #hoose (hat the% (anted be#a'se giving those $rivileges (ill tr'l% $la#e (omen in a good $osition in so#iet%. Jane "dams (as a (oman (ho #reated a settlement ho'se in Chi#ago. "dams tho'ght #it% governments

(ere not ta.ing #are o) #iti,ens as seen in her )ollo(ing statement. 4+nsanitar% ho'sing& $oisono's se(age& #ontaminated (ater& in)ant mortalit%& ad'lterated )ood& dangero's o##'$ations& /'venile #rime& $rostit'tion& and dr'n.enness: ;"dams ><=. omen did ever%thing at their homes& so she believed that omen (ere )ighting )or a #hange and so

(omen sho'ld do something )or their #omm'nit% as (ell.

the% had to (or. hard to a#hieve (hat the% (anted. The% (ere )ighting )or the right to vote and the right to )reedom o) s$ee#h.

"long (ith the )ight )or the right to vote #ame the iss'e o) #ontra#e$tives. Margaret Sanger tho'ght that (omen had to have the right to ma.e their o(n de#isions #on#erning their o(n bodies and lives. Margaret said& 4No (oman #an #all hersel) )ree (ho #annot #hoose the time to be a mother or not as she sees )it: ;Margaret Sanger >0=. omen sho'ld have the $o(er to $revent 'nsanitar% abortions& a

hard li)e )or #hildren in $overt%& diseases& and deaths. "long (ith the )ight )or the 'se o) #ontra#e$tives #ame the )ight to ma.e abortion legal. "s a res'lt& the S'$reme Co'rt a$$roved a la( in )avor o) abortion. This la( divided $eo$le in t(o sides9 ?ro8#hoi#e )eminists that believed that abortion (ere $ersonal de#isions& ?ro8@i)e #o'ntered that abortion (as m'rder and sho'ld th's be banned b% state a'thorities as religio's and moral (rong: ;J'sti#e Bla#.m'n 132=. Ho(ever& the la( (as $assed and it gave (omen the right to have an abortion d'ring the )irst trimester o) the $regnan#% and (ith the $rivilege o) having $riva#% in their de#ision.

An the other hand& d'ring the 1010s and 1020s the se#ond movement )or (omen!s rights began& (hi#h (as the )ight )or so#ial and #'lt'ral e-'alit% )or (omen. These %ears (ere #hara#teri,ed b% #ontrovers% abo't seB'alit%& )amil%& ed'#ation& and dis#rimination. The National Argani,ation o) omen ;NA = (as )o'nded b% )eminist leader Bett% Criedan in 101>. Its main goal (as to ta.e a#tion to bring (omen into )'ll $arti#i$ation in the mainstream "meri#an so#iet%& eBer#ising all the $rivileges and res$onsibilities thereo) in tr'l% e-'al $artnershi$ (ith men ;National Argani,ation )or omen

12D=. The% believed that i) men and (omen (or.ed together& the% (o'ld $rogress and a$$roa#h gender e-'alit%& so men (ere members o) this organi,ation as (ell. Bett% Criedan said that tr'e e-'alit% o) o$$ort'nit% and )reedom o) #hoi#e )or (omen re-'ire s'#h $ra#ti#al and $ossible innovations as a nation(ide net(or. o) #hildren #enters and national $rograms to $roviding retraining )or (omen (ho have #hosen to #are )or their #hildren )'ll time. "ll o) these movements )o'ght )or (omen!s rights and hel$ed (omen to a#hieve (hat the% (anted in li)e.

The str'ggle o) "meri#an (omen to (in their rights (as 'nderta.en (ith determination& intelligen#e& and $ersisten#e. The% determined their interests o) gender ideologi#al& #'lt'ral& ra#ial& and generational to be obtained (ith /'sti#e and $erseveration. The movements allo(ed (omen to gain a $la#e in so#iet%. amendment. ith the movements in the earl% 20th #ent'r% (omen got the right to vote (ith the 10th

ith the later movements (omen be#ame more so#iall% inde$endent and treatment

to(ards (omen on the (or. site& resta'rants& and s#hools #hanged drasti#all%. "lso& the iss'e that mar.ed these t(o movements (as the #ontrovers% o) #ontra#e$tion& (hi#h at )irst (as the $rohibition o) #ontra#e$tion in the )irst movement and later in the se#ond movement (as the a##e$tan#e o) a la( in )avor o) abortion be#a'se the% tho'ght (omen needed to ma.e their o(n de#isions. "ltho'gh the movements had di))erent goals and di))erent $oints o) vie(& the% both aimed to(ards im$roving the lives o) (omen in the +nites States.

or.s Cited

Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Address Before The U.S. Senate Committee on Woman Suffrage (1 !"#.M#Neese State +niversit% Histor% *e$t.& 2010. ?rint. $ane Adams,%Utilization of Women in City &o'ernment% (1!()#.*+,eese State Uni'ersity -istory .e/t., "(1(. 0rint. $usti+e Bla+1mun, 2oe 's. Wade (1!)3#.*+,eese State Uni'ersity -istory .e/t., "(1(. 0rint. *argaret Sanger4 The Case 5or Birth Control (1!1)#.*+,eese State Uni'ersity -istory .e/t., "(1(. 0rint. ,ational 6rganization 5or Women (,6W#, Statement of 0ur/ose (1!77#.*+,eese State Uni'ersity -istory .e/t., "(1(. 0rint.