The women’s suffrage movement was a fight for women’s voting rights during the mid-19th Century. Women have come a long way since then and are still advancing women’s rights. 

After the antislavery movement in the 1940s and 50s, the same people that fought against slavery fought for gender equality. The Seneca Falls Convention in 1848 was a meeting dedicated to formulating the “Declaration of Sentiments,” which discussed women having the same rights as men. 

In 1849, California allowed women to own property. Before women were allowed to own their own property, they would have their husband or a male relative have control over the land that they were given. In today’s world, women obtain the same rights as men when it comes to owning property. 

In 1869, Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton created the National Woman’s Suffrage Association (NWSA). Their main goal was to pass an amendment to allow women to vote. Another women’s suffrage group was created that same year named American Woman Suffrage Association, which was led by Lucy Stone, Julia Ward Howe, and Henry Blackwell.

Wyoming allowed women to vote in 1869 and in that same year women in Wyoming were seen equally as men. In 1890, Wyoming would only join the union if women would be allowed to vote. 

In 1893, Colorado was the first state to adopt an amendment that allowed women to vote. In later years, other states would join. In 1894 National Woman’s Suffrage Association (NWSA) and American Woman Suffrage Association combined their groups and made the National American Woman Suffrage Association; It was led by Susan B. Anthony. President Woodrow Wilson at first was against the 19th amendment but after Alice paul, a woman’s rights activist, went on a hunger strike when arrested. In 1920 the 19th amendment was signed into law. 

In the 1970s, women were allowed to get their own credit cards. Before that women still needed their husbands to cosign them. 

Women have suffered for many generations trying to gain the same rights as men. The history behind what they went through is interesting to look into and they did not have it easy with the government working against them.