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Womens Suffrage

You are a United States Senator and the year is 1919. You must form an argument for or against womens suffrage. Women are petitioning the government to grant them the right to vote. With a country at war, you are concerned if now is the right time to be dealing with issues at home. Read through the following pro and anti-womens suffrage documents. Decide whether you will vote to grant women the right to vote or avoid the issue for the time being. Remember, the year is 1919. Good luck!

Document A:
Source: Election Day! by EW Gustin, (1909) Illustration

1. Describe what details/characters/objects you see in the cartoon.

2. Describe the action taking place in the cartoon.

3. What is the main idea of the political cartoon? (RH.2) 4. What is the authors opinion on the issue of Womens Suffrage (is the cartoonist in favor or against Womens Suffrage)? (RH.2)

5. Cite 2 pieces of evidence to support your claim from question #4. (RH.1)

Document B:
Source: Speech Before Congress by Carrie Chapman Catt (1917), Washington, D.C. Woman suffrage is inevitable. Suffragists knew it before November 4, 1917; opponents afterward. Three distinct causes made it inevitable. First, the history of our country. Ours is a nation born of revolution, of rebellion against a system of government so securely entrenched in the customs and traditions of human society that in 1776 it seemed impregnable. From the beginning of things, nations had been ruled by kings and for kings, while the people served and paid the cost. The American Revolutionists boldly proclaimed the heresies: "Taxation without representation is tyranny." "Governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed." Second, the suffrage for women already established in the United States makes women suffrage for the nation inevitable. Our nation cannot long continue a condition under which government in half its territory rests upon the consent of half of the people and in the other half upon the consent of all the people. Third, the leadership of the United States in world democracy compels the enfranchisement of its own women. The maxims of the Declaration were once called "fundamental principles of government." They are now called "American principles" or even "Americanisms." Do you realize that in no other country in the world with democratic tendencies is suffrage so completely denied as in a considerable number of our own states? There are thirteen black states where no suffrage for women exists, and fourteen others where suffrage for women is more limited than in many foreign countries. "There is one thing mightier than kings and armies"--aye, than Congresses and political parties--"the power of an idea when its time has come to move." The time for woman suffrage has come. The woman's hour has struck. 1. What is Catts main idea she is trying to express? (RH.2)

2. Outline the three key points Catt makes in the passage to develop her main idea.

3. What is the Catts opinion on the issue of Womens Suffrage (is the author in favor or against Womens Suffrage)? (RH.2)

4. Cite 2 pieces of evidence to support your claim from question #3. (RH.1)

5. In the context of the document, what does the term enfranchisement mean? (RH.4)

Document C:
Source: North Carolina and the Womens Suffrage Amendment (August 1920)

1. How many women in the United States are wage workers at the time of this document? 2. What is the authors opinion on the issue of Womens Suffrage (is the writer in favor or against Womens Suffrage)? (RH.2)

3. Cite 2 pieces of evidence to support your claim from question #2. (RH.1)

4. In the context of the document, what does the term deprive mean? (RH.4)

Document D:
Source: Anti-Suffrage Newspaper in New York

1. What is the authors opinion on the issue of Womens Suffrage (is the author in favor or against Womens Suffrage)? (RH.2)

2. Cite 2 pieces of evidence to support your claim from question #1. (RH.1)

3. In the context of the document, what does the term degrading mean? (RH.4)

4. In the context of the document, what does the term sphere mean? (RH.4)

5. In the context of the document, what does the term vitality mean? (RH.4)

Document E:
Source: Petition to the U.S. Senate by Women Voters Anti-Suffrage Party of New York World War I, (1917) Petition

Document Transcription: Whereas, This country is now engaged in the greatest war in history and Whereas, The advocates of the Federal Amendment, through urging it as a war measure, announce, through their president, Mrs. Catt, that its passage means a simultaneous campaign in 48 States. Nothing less than this nation-wide, vigilant, unceasing campaign will win the ratification therefore be it. Resolves, That our country in this hour of peril should be spared the harassing of its public men and the distracting of its people from work for the war, and further Resolved, That the United States Senate be respectfully urged to pass no measure involving such radical change in our government while the attention of the patriotic portion of the American people is concentrated on the all-important task of winning the war, and during the absence of over a million men abroad.

1. Who wrote this petition and to which government agency is it addressed? 2. What is the authors opinion on the issue of Womens Suffrage (is the author in favor or against Womens Suffrage)? (RH.2)

3. Cite 2 pieces of evidence to support your claim from question #3. (RH.1) 4. What current event are the writers referencing when stating that our country (is) in this hour of peril?

Document F:
Source: The Sky is Now Her Limit by Bushnell (1920), Cartoon in the New York Times

1. What is the lowest rung on the ladder?

2. Which step on the ladder is exaggerated? 3. What is the authors opinion on the issue of Womens Suffrage (is the cartoonist in favor or against Womens Suffrage)? (RH.2)

4. Cite 2 pieces of evidence to support your claim from question #3. (RH.1)

Document G:
Source: Molly Elliot Seawell

1. What is the authors opinion on the issue of Womens Suffrage (is the author in favor or against Womens Suffrage)? (RH.2)

2. Cite 2 pieces of evidence to support your claim from question #1. (RH.1)

3. In the context of the document, what does the term executing mean? (RH.4)

4. In the context of the document, what does the term inharmonious mean? (RH.4)

Document H:
Source: Photograph of Suffragist with Kaiser Wilson Poster (1919)

1. What is the authors opinion on the issue of Womens Suffrage (is the petitioner in favor or against Womens Suffrage)? (RH.2)

2. Cite 2 pieces of evidence to support your claim from question #1. (RH.1)

3. Who is Wilson that the petition is addressing?

4. What does the cartoonist mean by titling the petition Kaiser Wilson?

Document I:
Source: Tennessee Representative John A. Moon

1. What is the authors opinion on the issue of Womens Suffrage (is the author in favor or against Womens Suffrage)? (RH.2)

2. Cite 2 pieces of evidence to support your claim from question #1. (RH.1)

3. In the context of the document, what does the term intolerable mean? (RH.4)

4. Does Moon believe it is patriotic to fight for womens suffrage or ignore the issue? Why?

Document J:

1. What is the Douglasss opinion on the issue of Womens Suffrage (is the writer in favor or against Womens Suffrage)? (RH.2)

2. Cite 2 pieces of evidence to support your claim from question #1. (RH.1)

3. What unique perspective does Frederick Douglass offer the document? Why is it important that he is a man writing this piece?

Name:____________________________ Writing Prompt: If you were a Senator in 1919, would you have voted for or against Womens Suffrage? Thesis Statement: Directions- After reading each of the documents, you will now take a stand and answer the following question with a thesis statement in the space below: If you were a Senator in 1919, would you have voted for or against Womens Suffrage? _______________________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________________ Body Paragraph #1: Directions- Write your first body paragraph following the 1-2-3 punch format (be sure to include a topic sentence at the beginning).
Topic Sentence

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Introduce source #1

Describe the evidence #1 Show why the evidence matters #1

Introduce source #2 Describe the evidence #2 Show why the evidence matters #2

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