Suffragist movement
Meet the Suffragists
In their fight for women’s right to vote, suffragists faced decades of derision, imprisonment, and abuse. Their resilience and determination changed the course of history and inspired later generations of activists. Here we present just some of the women who persisted and have endured.
American Suffragists
Insisted on a prenuptial contract that allowed her to work on suffrage
Helped organize the Seneca Falls Convention
“I would not waste my life in friction when it could be turned into momentum.”
Suffragist versus Suffragette
What’s the difference between a suffragist and a suffragette? While these terms are often used interchangeably, they are actually not the same. While both fought for women’s right to vote, suffragettes adopted a more militant approach.
Suffragist
One who advocates extension of suffrage especially to women. Today, women and men can be suffragists.
Suffragette
A member of militant women’s suffrage organizations in the early 20th century.
“The way to right wrongs is to turn the light of truth upon them.”
The Changing Landscape of Voting
Fifteen states passed full universal women’s suffrage prior to the Nineteenth Amendment’s passage.
Source: 2017 Congressional Research Service
Number of women who voted in the 2016 presidential election. Statistics show that the number of female voters has exceeded male voters in every presidential election since 1964.
Source: 2017 Congressional Research Service
In 2018 women made up about the same share of the electorate as they did in the previous five midterms; 53% of voters were women and 47% were men.
Source: Pew Research
Global Suffragists
Leading light of women’s suffrage
“No one will deliver freedom to the woman except the woman herself.”
“Men make the moral code and expect woman to accept it.”
“Take courage,join hands, and stand beside us.”
A dame for women’s rights
“Courage calls to courage everywhere, and its voice cannot be denied.”
Women's history Quizzes
Featured Women's History Quiz: Famous Suffragettes
How much do you know about suffragettes, the “soldiers in petticoats” who fought for women’s rights?
Women in the United States were finally granted the right to vote with the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment. How much do you know about this important event and the people involved? Test your knowledge with this quiz.
How many women have served in the Senate? Who was the first female to hold a cabinet post? Discover how much you know about women in the U.S. government in this quiz.Test your knowledge with this quiz.
They have been hostesses, helpers, advisers, gatekeepers, guardians, confidantes, and sometimes formidable powers behind the scenes.How much do you know about the first ladies of the United States?