The Rise of Women in Politics By: Diane Jung

Women did not always have the same rights and privileges in the government as they do today. Here is an overview of their expansion in political power.

An example of a demonstration for equal rights for women

1770s
Men were not the only Revolutionaries to participate in the protest against the British. Women took their part by boycotting things like British tea and thread. Mary Goddard, for example, was the first person to print a copy of the Declaration of Independence which included the signers' names.
1848
The rapid growth of the American population also brought about the awareness of the lack of equality for women, particularly suffrage. The first woman suffrage movement took place in 1848 in Seneca Falls, New York. It was led by Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott. Here, the Declaration of Sentiments was introduced, which demanded more rights for women.

1920
The struggle for suffrage continued into the early 1900s. Demonstrations such as protests took place until finally, in 1920, the Nineteenth Amendment was added to the Constitution, which granted the right for women to vote.

1972-1982
Equal suffrage was not enough for the persistent spirit of American women. More and more women began to join the workforce. However, this led to the realization that they were not being paid equally as men. The Equal rights Amendement, or the ERA, was a sign of hope for women to finally have equal pay and rights as men. Despite public approval, the ERA was not passed.

2001
The climb from protesting and voting rights has allowed women in America to participate in the United States government. Sixty women served in the House of Representatives the 107th Congress, and thirteen women served in the Senate.