MIRANDA, Miguel Reynaldo F.

Section A54

Iron Jawed Angels

1. What is the women’s suffrage movement?

The women’s suffrage movement is a movement that is comprised of women who

believed that as women, they are entitled, and have the right to vote during elections. They
advocated for equal rights between men and women. They were forced to follow laws that were
made by men. In order to give public awareness of their cause, the members of the women’s
suffrage movement staged a parade which occurred a day before President Wilson’s
inauguration. They walked representing women in different aspects of life. The women were
then heckled, and soon after the crowd mostly comprised of men walked into the street and
disrupted the parade through brute actions. The women did not stop there, they protested in front
of the White House, which led to them being arrested and put to jail for “obstructing sidewalk
traffic”. In jail, they were tortured and violated. While in jail, their leader, Alice Paul, staged a
hunger strike along with other women who were arrested. She was force fed by doctors and was
examined for mental illness. Through constant effort and pressure from the public, President
Wilson gave his support to them which led to the congress staging a vote for the women's “right
to vote”. It was passed and with the ratification of the 19th amendment, women were allowed to
vote. Their efforts helped women across the country to exercise their citizenship through the
national elections. If not for people like Alice Paul, and the women of the women’s suffrage
movement, inequality between the genders would be more prevalent today.
2. Why did men strongly oppose the creation of an amendment allowing women to vote?

Men strongly opposed the creation of the amendment allowing women to vote because
they did not believe that women could handle political decisions and that their decisions would
be detrimental to the social structure. Men during those times felt superior to women since they
enjoyed all the basic rights as well as the benefits of being a citizen while women did not receive
all the basic rights and benefits. The government which was comprised of all men did not see
that suffrage would be an important law to implement since it did not affect them at all and rather
focused on efforts on laws that would affect all. Women were seen as inferior to men. Women in
the film did not have the same rights as men and were seen as mothers and housekeepers instead.
They did not get to vote at all, men were the ones who created the laws, some which weren’t
beneficial at all for women. In what I could see, this was a huge case of inequality between men
and women.

3. What is the significance of August 18, 1920?

The significance of August 18, 1920 is that, during this day the 19th amendment which
allowed women to vote was granted after a decades long battle. In order for it to be
incorporated in the constitution, the house must have a majority voting of ¾ votes coming from
the congressmen. They eventually won and the amendment was set to the constitution. Through
them, they showed that anything is possible and whatever a man can do a woman can do as well.
Through the efforts and sacrifices of the suffragists, the amendment became a gateway of
opportunity for women in all aspects of life. Their sacrifice has made a huge impact for the
women of today and for the future generations.
 References

America’s Story from America's Library (n.d) ​Ten Suffragists Arrested While Picketing at the
White House, accessed 27 October 2019,
<http://www.americaslibrary.gov/jb/jazz/jb_jazz_sufarrst_1.html

Crash Course (2013, Sep. 26). Women's Suffrage: Crash Course US History #31
Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HGEMscZE5dY