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Tasks: Address to the Congress on Women's Suffrage

Talk:

Work in groups and divide the speech between you.

  1. Summarise the main content of the passage you have been given and paraphrase it in modern English.

  2. Look up words you don't understand. Make a list of words and expressions that are unusual or new to you.

  3. Go through the speech in your group and explain the content of each paragraph to each other. Also, share your list of words and expressions.

Dig deeper:

A black and white photo form around 1900 of an elderly lady. She has white hair and is nicely dressed. She looks directly into the camera with a serious look.
Carrie Chapman Catt

  1. In her speech, Catt presents three distinct reasons why women's suffrage is inevitable. The first reason she mentions is the history of the country.

    • Why is American history an important argument for women's suffrage?
    • She refers to several direct quotations by famous Americans. Give examples of how she cleverly uses the words of men to support her argument that women should have the vote.

  2. The second reason why Catt regards suffrage for women as inevitable is that she sees withholding the vote from women as undemocratic. She uses a quotation from Elihu Root to demonstrate her point: "The world cannot be half democratic and half autocratic. It must be all democratic or all Prussian. There can be no compromise."

    • What was the situation for women's suffrage in the United States in 1917, nationwide and in the different states? Do a bit of research to find out.
    • How does the Root quotation demonstrate Chapman Catt's point?

  3. American principles is the third reason why Chapman Catt sees women's suffrage as inevitable.

    • What are the American principles in question?
    • What role did the United States play in the world in 1917? According to Catt, why is this important?

  4. Catt states that "The woman's hour has struck".

    • According to Catt, what will happen if Congress allows women's suffrage?
    • And what will happen if they don't?

  5. At the end of the speech, she directly addresses the men in Congress and divides them into four categories.

    • What does she say about these four groups of men?
    • What is the effect of this final appeal?

  6. Considering the time period and the situation for women at the time, how do you think this speech was received by the public and by politicians?


Write:

Write a rhetorical analysis of 'Address to the Congress on Women's Suffrage' by Carrie Chapman Catt.

Before you start writing, you may want to discuss the following questions in groups or in class.

  1. Identify passages in the speech where she uses the three appeals: ethos, logos, and pathos. Does she rely more on one than the other? How effective is her use of these appeals?

  2. She uses rhetorical questions several places in the text. Find examples and discuss how effective they are in her speech.

  3. What other types of rhetorical or literary devices can you find? How do these help emphasise her argument?

To learn more about rhetorical analysis, visit the article found in 'Related Content' at the bottom of the page.

Close read:

A black and white photo showing four men from behind standing outside a building marked with the sign "Headquarters Opposed to Woman Suffrage."
Opposition to women's suffrage

In the late 19th century, an anti-suffragism movement developed in countries like Australia, Ireland, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The movement was supported by both men and women, and it was a largely conservative movement that sought to maintain status quo for women. It was closely associated with 'domestic feminism', according to which women had the right to freedom and autonomy within the family, whereas their participation in public life should be limited.

Close read the leaflets and letter in the expandable box. You will find a transcript of all the posters and leaflets at the bottom of the page.

  1. Write down a list of arguments that were used against women's suffrage.

  2. What were their greatest fears?

  3. Which of the arguments do you find most provocative?

  4. Are there arguments you don't necessarily agree with, but that you understand?

Arguments against woman's suffrage
A leaflet from National Association Opposed to Woman Suffrage presenting arguments against woman's suffrage.
Vote NO to Woman Suffrage
An ad from the Pennsylvania Association Opposed to Woman Suffrage, pointing out arguments against woman suffrage.
Pennsylvania Association Opposed to Woman Suffrage
An advertisement from Georgia Association Opposed to Woman's Suffrage, pointing out arguments against the vote for women.
Vote Against Woman Suffrage
A letter from Alabama Male Association Opposed to Woman Suffrage to Senator Duncan Fletcher in Washington DC where the writer pleads with the politician to help defeat woman suffrage.
Alabama Male Association Opposed to Woman Suffrage
Transcript

Transcript 1:
Vote NO on Woman Suffrage

  • BECAUSE 90% of women either don't want it or don't care.

  • BECAUSE it means competition of women with men instead of co-operation.

  • BECAUSE 80% of women eligible to vote are married and can only double or annul their husbands vote.

  • BECAUSE it can be of no benefit commensurate with the additional expense involved.

  • BECAUSE in some states more voting women than voting men will place the Government under petticoat rule.

  • BECAUSE it is unwise to risk the good we already have for the evil which may occur.

Votes for women can accomplish no more than votes for men. Why waste time, energy, and money, without result?

National Association OPPOSED to Woman Suffrage.

Transcript 2:
Pennsylvania Association Opposed to Woman Suffrage.

Our platform

We stand for the conservation of the best of American womanhood of all conditions and stations of life, for the preservation of the home and the retention of the best ideals of preceding generations adapted to the advantages and opportunities given to women under modern conditions. We believe that women according to their leisure, opportunity and experience should take part increasingly in civic and municipal affairs, as they have always done in charitable, philanthropic and educational activities, and we believe that this can be done by women without the ballot, as a nonpartisan body of disinterested workers.

WOMAN SUFFRAGE MEANS JURY DUTY FOR WOMEN

WOMAN SUFFRAGE MEANS HIGHER TAXES

Woman suffrage brings enormous taxes and great hardships to property owners. In Illinois taxes have increased in some places 190 per cent in the four years since women have voted. In Colorado taxes are so heavy that property is unsalable. In California since 1910 the cost of government has increased 101 per cent. The population in the same time has increased only 19 per cent. Women have voted in California since 1911.

SHALL WE WASTE ON WOMAN SUFFRAGE THE TAXPAYER'S MONEY SO URGENTLY NEEDED FOR NATIONAL DEFENSE?

WAKE UP AND DEFEAT WOMAN SUFFRAGE

Transcript 3:
Vote Against Woman Suffrage

  • BECAUSE the women of Georgia do not want the vote.

  • BECAUSE under equal suffrage election expenses show increase of 20 per cent - consequent increased taxation.

  • BECAUSE universal suffrage wipes out the disfranchisement of the negro by State law.

  • BECAUSE of the danger to farmers' families if negro men vote in addition to 2,000,000 women.

  • BECAUSE farm lands would depreciate under universal suffrage.

  • BECAUSE the South has been notified that Federal authorities will supervise elections.

  • BECAUSE White Supremacy must be maintained.

The Georgia Association OPPOSED TO Woman's Suffrage.


Transcript 4
Alabama Male Association Opposed to Woman Suffrage

My Dear Senator

I note the Senate anticipate taking action at an early date upon the proposed Susan B. Anthony Suffrage Amendment.

The proposed submission of this Amendment seems so foreign to the democracy taught us by Morgan and Pettus, who gave their life as a service, that the South might live, that I cannot believe any Southern Senator could lend it support. If the South yields its control of suffrage to the Federal government all the efforts of the manhood of the past will have been in vain. I am not afraid of our government, but I do not want to be placed in a position where we will always have to trust the party in power to be merciful to us - the South had to take a dose of that medicine once and it was very, very bitter.

Equity demands no fairer solution of the question of woman suffrage than each state be permitted to solve the issue for itself and if we take away this right from the states they lose their identity and become mere parcels of a central government.

President Wilson has stated "When the soldiers come back from Europe they will be heroes; we will have to treat them different; they will expect something". Among "those soldiers" will be thousands of negroes, trained in military efficiency and the use of high power rifles, with the possibility of the ballot in their hands, I ask in all seriousness - what will become of white supremacy in the grand old south? There is a grave responsibility resting upon our representatives and we can only plead and trust they will not betray us. I can see no possible good in the Amendment, but there is ample opportunity for much harm. Will you help defeat it when it comes up.

Very cordially yours

Martin L Calhoun




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Last updated 11/29/2021

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