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Elementary | Middle School | High School | Home | Topical Index | Links | Standards |
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Elementary | Middle School | High School | Home | Topical Index | Links | Standards |
Introduction (continued)
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New Jerseyans Organize. The New Jersey Woman Suffrage Association was one of the very first state suffrage organizations in the nation. It was organized in Vineland, Cumberland County, in December 1867 by a group of women and men who believed citizens should be allowed to vote regardless of color or sex. Lucy Stone was elected president; her sister-in-law, Antoinette Brown Blackwell of Somerville, was a vice-president. The NJWSA knew it had a difficult road ahead. They believed the best way to enfranchise women in New Jersey was to amend the state constitution. To do this, suffragists had to convince both houses of the legislature in two successive sessions to pass bills proposing a woman suffrage amendment to the New Jersey Constitution of 1844; they then had to convince the male electorate to vote for the amendment in a special referendum. Suffrage Work at the National Level. Other New Jersey suffragists, especially those who followed the lead of Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony, worked for amendment of the U.S. Constitution. They believed the state-by-state strategy was too cumbersome. Between 1868 and 1885, Stanton lived in Tenafly and used her home there as a base for her writing and political work. For over 50 years New Jersey suffragists worked to regain the vote. They went through two campaigns to amend the state constitution, only to have the measures defeated by male voters at the polls. New Jersey suffragists also worked for suffrage at the national level. In the 20th century Alice Paul of Moorestown was a leader of the radical wing of the suffrage movement, the National Women’s Party. Finally, in 1920 New Jersey women were enfranchised when the Nineteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified. New Jersey was the 29th state to ratify. Early Documents. The documents you find here represent an early and very limited part of the suffrage struggle, yet they give valuable insight into the ways women worked to expand their civil rights in the 19th century. Early suffragists tried several tactics to popularize woman suffrage and to convince the state legislature to propose a suffrage amendment. The activities outlined here will help you better understand the ideals and behaviors of early New Jersey suffragists as well as the obstacles that blocked them from their goal. Copyright 2001 |