During the Woman’s Suffrage movement time as an organization (1830-1920) it was involved in a few contradictions. First, although middle-class white women had being strong proponents of the anti-slavery movement during the 1830’s their support for the black cause dwindle when they were confronted with the question of whether black men should gain the right to vote before middle-class white women. Second, even though the Woman’s Suffrage Movement had being a strong supporter of working women their support diminished, but not only for working women, but for other working class individuals (i.e. black and white women and men and immigrants). Third, in the last decade of the nineteenth century with U.S. imperialist ideology expanding around the …show more content…
Davis explains that before there was a Women’s Suffrage movement the Industrial Revolution had been changing women’s lives (Davis 31). Davis explains that by the 1830’s the work women had been doing in the home had been transferred into factories (31). As a result, middle class white women were left with only the roles of wives and mothers there to make their husbands happy and to bear their children (32). As this took place in the home other social changes were taking place. For instance, in 1831 Black men and women protested their social positions as slaves in what came to be known as the Nat Turner’s revolt (Davis 32). Which as Davis suggest was responsible for the inception of the abolitionist movement (33). Meanwhile, Davis mentioned that young women and children were protesting their working conditions in textile factories in the Northeast (33). While, well to do white women were demanding their right to an education and to be productive outside of the home (Davis …show more content…
Anthony took individual stances against racism but would not make their personal fights against racism a public issue concerning the Suffrage movement (Davis 111). For instance, Davis explains that Anthony often told people that Frederick Douglass was “the first man to publicly advocate the enfranchisement of women” (111). But, that in order to get more southern women into the Suffrage movement she had to push him aside (Davis 111). On the other hand, Davis suggest that Anthony had turned down a group of black women who were eager to create an offshoot of suffrage association because she was concerned that her white southern members would become hostile towards these women and refuse to take fight in the suffrage movement (Davis 111-112). In other words, even though the Suffrage movement was working toward the rights of women they were not eager to include black women into the organization