Restoring justice and providing women with suffrage in the United States was a rather lengthy process, associated with many difficulties and problems. This process stretched for almost a century and was related to many speeches from women who tried to attract attention. However, although the overwhelming majority of women felt the problem and the adverse effects of the lack of suffrage, not all of them actively supported this movement. This is partly why this process dragged on for such a long time since, in addition to active confrontations between the male half of the population, there was not enough support from the female side.
First of all, the process of defending one’s rights is associated with a sufficient level of education and awareness. As a result, a whole group of women falls out of the group of activists who do not think about their position and do not seek to change the order. Unfortunately, there is a reasonably large stratum of the population in any society, which is the most inert and unable to defend its position actively. Such people try to live the same way as their ancestors lived before, observing traditions and not violating the established order, thereby ensuring a comfortable existence for themselves.
The second factor, most likely, was the banal fear of opposing male oppression. Even in modern society, women sometimes find it difficult to defend some of their rights, and at the end of the 19th century, such bold actions could lead to sad consequences. An example of this is the arrest of Susan B. Anthony in 1872 after she voted for president (“The Nineteenth Amendment,” n.d.). Despite widespread resonance, even the Supreme Court, which the activists had hoped for, ruled against women’s suffrage, arguing that the US Constitution does not grant everyone this right.
Finally, thirdly, there was a stratum of women who also did not want changes in the current society, motivated by their interests. Those women who belonged to the middle and upper class had their levers of pressure and ways of influencing politics, much more graceful and subtle. Their methods allowed them to remain in the shadows while maintaining a pure moral character. As one of their main arguments, these activists cited that politics is a dirty business in which a woman should not participate. Thus, these women already had certain privileges and therefore did not need additional ones.
Reference
The Nineteenth Amendment. (n.d.). Khan Academy. Web.