Introduction
The late 19th and early 20th centuries witnessed a fervent struggle for women’s rights, particularly their desired right to vote, or suffrage. This period, however, was also marked by significant opposition, with detractors raising several objections to women’s suffrage (Berenson, 2019). Alice Stone Blackwell, a prominent American feminist and suffragist, made significant efforts to address these objections, influencing the public’s vision of the issue (Wayne, 2020). Thus, today, primary sources like Blackwell’s collected answers to objections serve as valuable tools for understanding historical content, providing firsthand accounts of the socio-political landscape at the time. This paper aims to identify and discuss the key objections to women’s suffrage observed during that period regarding Blackwell’s work.
The Key Objections to Women’s Suffrage
A significant objection raised against women’s suffrage was the assertion that politics was inherently “dirty” and would sully the purity and innocence of women. In addition, women can be too emotional in expressing their thoughts and will, and can influence critical political processes (Wayne, 2020). Thus, many believed that women’s involvement in politics would not only degrade them but would also tarnish the sanctity of the home, making women act and think like men (Prescott & Thompson, 2020).
Developing her answers to objections, Blackwell countered these statements by arguing that if politics were indeed dirty, it was the more reason for women to get involved to make the field more moral: “men are superior to women along certain lines, and women superior to men along certain others” (Blackwell, 1917, p. 185).
She posited that women’s involvement could bring a much-needed ethical dimension to politics. In addition, she stated that emotions did not lead women, and they could not begin to act like men or develop masculinity. According to Blackwell (1917), “the differences between men and women are natural; they are not the result of disfranchisement.
The fact that all men have equal rights before the law does not wipe out natural differences of character and temperament between man and man. Why should it wipe out the natural differences between men and women?” (p. 185). Thus, the public was not ready to accept that women could participate in political discourse equally to men.
Another objection was that suffrage might upset the domestic sphere, disrupting traditional gender roles and straining marital relationships. The fear was that if women became politically active, they would neglect their duties at home (Meyer, 2020). Blackwell (1917) refuted this by suggesting that women’s involvement in politics would not necessarily equate to a rejection of domestic responsibilities, since a woman “can take 10 minutes to stop on her way to market and vote” (p. 180).
She also accentuated the importance of home and marriage relations for women, which could not be affected by women’s right to vote. Moreover, she argued that social progress often required adjustments in traditional roles. Critics developed the idea that women lacked the knowledge and interest in politics necessary for informed voting because of their interest in home activities (Wayne, 2020).
They claimed that women’s relative isolation from the public sphere and their focus on home and family left them ill-informed about political matters. In response, Blackwell (1917) argued that women could learn and understand politics just like men. She pointed out that not all men were politically savvy, yet their right to vote was never questioned.
There were also ideas that women could not vote because they had not historically, and it was a duty for men because of their status in society. Responding to these visions, Blackwell (1917) noted, “the reasons why women should vote are the same as the reasons why men should vote are the same as the reasons for having a republic rather than a monarchy” (p. 168).
In addition, “it is fair and right that the people who must obey the laws should have a voice in choosing the law-makers, and that those who must pay the taxes should have a voice as to the amount of the tax, and the way in which the money shall be spent” (Blackwell, 1917, p. 168).
Role of Primary Sources in Understanding Historical Content
It is important to note that Blackwell’s answers to objections, as a primary source, offer unique insights into the historical context surrounding the women’s suffrage movement. This firsthand account illustrates the widespread beliefs and prejudices of the era. It sheds light on the arguments that suffragists had to counter.
This source provides a deeper understanding of the societal dynamics and the intellectual combat that took place, making history more relatable and alive. From this perspective, it is important to state that primary sources allow for an authentic understanding of the past, engaging the reader more directly with historical events and figures.
Conclusion
While objections to women’s suffrage were numerous and rooted in deeply entrenched societal norms, Alice Stone Blackwell’s collected answers effectively countered these arguments. The discussed primary source has been invaluable in comprehending the ideological battles of the suffrage movement and the broader social and cultural context of the time. One should conclude that the study of primary sources, such as Blackwell’s work, enhances readers’ understanding of history, offering a more nuanced and detailed view of the struggles and triumphs in the quest for women’s rights.
References
Berenson, B. F. (2019). The campaign for Women’s Suffrage in Massachusetts, 1869-95. Historical Journal of Massachusetts, 47(2), 26-XII.
Blackwell, A. S. (1917). Answering objections. In F. Maule & A. G. Porritt (Eds.), “The Blue Book”: Woman suffrage, history, arguments and results (144-145, 168-170, 180-186, 188). National Woman Suffrage Publishing Company.
Meyer, J. (2020). “Politics Is a Moral Science”: Tracing the women’s suffrage movement in the Filson’s Collections. Ohio Valley History, 20(1), 84-92.
Prescott, H. M., & Thompson, L. M. (2020). A right to ourselves: Women’s suffrage and the birth control movement. The Journal of the Gilded Age and Progressive Era, 19(4), 542-558.
Wayne, T. K. (Ed.). (2020). Women’s suffrage: The complete guide to the nineteenth amendment. ABC-CLIO.