SUFFRAGISTS PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS FIGHT FOR VOTING RIGHTS
Jacob Gaskins Chapter, NSDAR, Hosts Educational Presentation on Women’s Suffrage Movement
Guest speaker Christian Shively presents “The Suffragists” during the Jacob Gaskins Chapter, NSDAR, meeting in February.
North Canton, OH — The Jacob Gaskins Chapter, NSDAR, welcomed guest speaker Christian Shively for its February meeting, where he presented a program entitled “The Suffragists.” A veteran educator in his 33rd year of teaching high school history, including 28 years of AP U.S. History, Mr. Shively offered a comprehensive and engaging overview of the women’s suffrage movement in the United States.
Through the use of historical photographs, political cartoons, and audio, Mr. Shively traced the long-term causes of the movement, including legal and political inequalities faced by women, the influence of Republican motherhood, and the role of women in abolition and temperance efforts. He also highlighted the significance of the 1848 Seneca Falls Convention, organized by Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott, where the Declaration of Sentiments was introduced as a call for women’s rights.
The program explored the influential partnership between Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, as well as the formation of the National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA) following the Civil War. Mr. Shively also noted the early adoption of women’s suffrage in several Western states, including Wyoming, Colorado, and Utah.
Attention was given to the more direct-action strategies led by Alice Paul and Lucy Burns, including the 1913 suffrage parade in Washington, DC, and the Silent Sentinels’ picketing of the White House. These efforts, which included arrests, imprisonment, hunger strikes, and force-feeding, helped generate national attention and public sympathy for the cause.
Mr. Shively concluded with the passage of the 19th Amendment, ratified on August 18, 1920, after approval by 36 states, with Tennessee providing the decisive vote. He then took questions from the membership, leading to a broader discussion on civic responsibility and voter engagement.
Following the presentation, Regent Martin Shively presented Mr. Shively with a certificate of appreciation on behalf of the chapter.
Individuals interested in learning more about their genealogy or membership in the NSDAR should contact the chapter.