The Fight for the Right: Firsts for Women in U.S. Government
In the early twentieth century, women’s suffrage was the movement that paved the way for women in government. Among the women who were instrumental in the suffrage movement include Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony, Virginia Minor, Ida B. Wells, Alice Paul, and Lucretia Mott. The early fight for women’s rights culminated in the passing of the 19th Amendment in 1920 that granted women the right to vote.
Even before the 19th Amendment was passed, Jeanette Rankin of Montana was the first woman elected to the House of Representatives in 1916. After women gained the right…