Sarah Churchwell tells the tortured history of the campaign to secure votes for women and how it was tied up with another campaign to suppress votes for black Americans. From the 15th amendment in 1870 to the 19th amendment in 1920: why the promise of enfranchisement is often not what it seems.
Talking Points:
The struggle for votes for women and votes for black people have been linked from the beginning.
Many suffragettes believed that if they supported the 15th amendment, Republicans would turn around and recognize their claims, and that black legislators in particular would argue for rights for women.
The 19th amendment is explicitly modeled on the 15th amendment.
Another thing that happens in this moment is the 18th amendment, or prohibition.
Further Learning:
And as ever, recommended reading curated by our friends at the LRB can be found here: lrb.co.uk/talking
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