First-Wave Feminism: Breaking the Barriers of

Social Norms
First-wave feminism was the beginning of a long, uphill battle for
women’s rights and equality in a political world dominated by men.
Oct 9, 2022 • By Amy Hayes, BA History w/ English minor

Suffragist group outside the Congressional Union for Woman Suffrage headquarters with
picketing signs by Harris & Ewing, 1917, via the Library of Congress, Washington DC
First-wave feminism focused heavily on women’s suffrage. Before the mid-19th century, women
stood in the background of most political discussions. Most of their days were spent taking care
of domestic tasks, such as cleaning the home, cooking, and caring for children. The lack of
involvement in society beyond the household began to motivate women to speak out in an effort
to have a say in their rights.

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The Seneca Falls Convention: The First Official Event of
First-Wave Feminism 

Declaration of Sentiments authored by Elizabeth Cady Stanton, 1848, via the Library of
Congress, Washington DC
 

The first wave of feminism officially began with the first women’s rights meeting at the Seneca
Falls Convention in 1848. The initial idea for the convention came in 1840 at the World Anti-
Slavery Convention in London. Women weren’t invited to attend the event. Despite being a men-
only event, some women activists, including Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott, still
decided to show. Their unwelcomed attendance led to the men excluding them from speaking or
participating in any discussions, but they were allowed to stay.

Stanton and Mott met on July 9, 1848, at the home of philanthropists Jane and Richard Hunt in
Waterloo, New York to organize the first women’s rights convention. They wrote the
“Declaration of Sentiments,” which outlined numerous statements declaring women’s equality.
The Seneca Falls Convention was held less than two weeks later, on July 19 and 20. It occurred
in the Wesleyan Chapel on Fall Street in the Seneca Falls village in New York. Topics of
discussion included the current and future roles of women in a civil, social, and religious sense.
Men were allowed to participate in discussions on the second day.

It’s estimated that about 300 men and women attended the Seneca Falls Convention. Some of the
resolutions recorded in deliberations reflected the following: women are equal to men, women
are morally superior just as men claim to be intellectually superior, and men should be expected
to uphold the same level of behavior in public as women. The convention sparked the start of the
women’s suffrage movement, which continued to be a focal point for women activists over the
next several decades.

Movements That Inspired the First Wave of Feminism 

Women’s rights activists and abolitionists Elizabeth Cady Stanton (left) and Susan B. Anthony
(right), via the Library of Congress, Washington DC
 

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First-wave feminism was built upon women activists who participated in other social
movements. Women were at the heart of the temperance movement that appeared in the early
19th century. The movement pushed for the ban or limitation of drinking alcohol in the United
States. Women established several temperance organizations. These organizations helped women
gain more skills in navigating the political realm by carrying leadership roles.

The abolitionist movement began shortly before the start of the first wave of feminism. Many
abolitionists were women who organized anti-slavery campaigns. Lucretia Mott and Elizabeth
Cady Stanton both lectured about ending slavery. There was a larger disconnect between the
abolitionist and first-wave feminism movements. African American women were often not
included in some first-wave women’s rights organizations or events. This would not change
much until the appearance of second-wave feminism alongside the Civil Rights Movement.

Women became more comfortable and determined to insert themselves into political discussions
in the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was previously seen as unnatural for women to speak
about political issues. As women began to join social movements and take on leadership
positions, it encouraged more women to advocate for their beliefs and rights. During the first
wave, common tactics for women’s rights advocates included petitioning, lobbying, and
lecturing. Marching for rights became more common in the 20th century.
 

First-Wave Feminists

Envoy of suffragists a part of the Congressional Union “Suffrage Special” event touring
Colorado, 1916, via the Library of Congress, Washington DC
 

A woman’s involvement in the political discussion was largely frowned upon for centuries.
Numerous first-wave feminists ignored this dispiriting perspective in an effort to change
women’s lives forever. Sojourner Truth lived through slavery until she escaped in 1826, seeking
freedom and using her experiences as encouragement to advocate for the abolition of slavery and
women’s rights. Truth attended the Woman’s Rights Convention of 1851 in Akron, Ohio, where
she delivered a powerful and memorable speech. In the speech titled Ain’t I a  Woman? Truth
discussed how she is just as strong and capable as any man.

Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Lucretia Mott, and Susan B. Anthony all worked together as women’s
rights advocates. They were considered some of the most influential first-wave feminists through
their efforts in the suffrage movement. Along with helping organize the first women’s rights
convention, Stanton was also an author who published multiple books on women’s rights issues.
Mott was raised in a Quaker household. One of the core beliefs of Quakers included equality,
which encouraged Mott to become an abolitionist and women’s rights activist.

Susan B. Anthony met Stanton and other activists at an anti-slavery convention in 1851. This led
her to attend her first women’s rights convention the following year. Although Anthony died in
1906 before women won the right to vote, she had such a great impact on the movement that the
19th Amendment is often referred to as the “Susan B. Anthony Amendment.”

Organizations of the First-Wave Feminist Movement 

Women’s rights activists marching to advocate for school suffrage, 1915, via the Library of
Congress, Washington DC
 

Several organizations had a significant role in pushing for suffrage and other women’s rights
issues. However, first-wave feminism ran into some complications in the late 19th century, as
activists had disagreements on how to advocate and win over women’s rights. These issues led
large groups of suffragists and activists to split into different organizations, which lessened the
power of the movement.

The National Woman Suffrage Association (NWSA) was established by Elizabeth C.

Stanton and Susan B. Anthony, which focused on winning women’s suffrage on the federal
level. Amid discussions about the 15th Amendment, the NWSA pushed for women to be
included. The 15th Amendment was passed by Congress in 1869, only granting African
American men the right to vote. This caused outrage among Stanton, Anthony, and other NWSA
members. Stanton and Anthony heavily criticized the amendment for leaving women out of it
and decided to denounce it publicly. Disagreements arose among women’s rights activists who
supported the amendment, despite its exclusion of women. Activists split off into other
organizations that better supported their beliefs.

Members of the National Woman’s Party picketing outside the White House by Harris & Ewing,
1919, via the Library of Congress, Washington DC
 

The American Woman Suffrage Association (AWSA) was founded by Lucy Stone in 1869 and
focused on securing women’s suffrage at the state level. The divide between these two major
women’s rights organizations crippled the suffrage movement. The NWSA and AWSA decided
to hash out their disagreements and merge together in 1890 to form the National American
Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA). Stanton and Anthony were the first leaders of the
organization. NAWSA received support from other groups, including the Woman’s Christian
Temperance Union and Women’s Trade Union League.

The National Woman’s Party (NWP) appeared later in 1913. The NWP, originally named the
Congressional Union for Woman Suffrage, was founded by Quaker and activist Alice Paul. This
organization took a more direct approach to women’s rights by picketing, practicing civil
disobedience, and organizing mass rallies and protests. Paul was highly educated, having earned
a master’s in sociology, Ph.D. in economics, and a law degree. Her more active approach to
suffrage helped the movement gain popularity.

The NWP organized picketing protests outside the White House beginning in 1917, just at
the start of World War I. Many women were arrested and assaulted, but the picketing continued
for two more years. After the 19th Amendment was passed and ratified, the NWP turned its
focus toward other women’s rights issues and discrimination. Alice Paul introduced the Equal
Rights Amendment (ERA) to Congress in 1923. This was a significant stepping stone for future
women’s rights that concentrated on eliminating social, civil, and political discrimination toward
all women.

Major Events During the First Wave of Feminism

Head of the 1913 Woman Suffrage Parade in front of the US Capitol, via the Library of
Congress, Washington DC
 

After the Civil War ended slavery, more questions concerning rights for women began to appear.
Women activists took this as an opportunity to push for suffrage. Congressman Thaddeus
Stevens created a Petition for Universal Suffrage in 1866. Some of the movement’s most notable
activists and suffragists signed the petition, including Elizabeth Stanton, Susan B. Anthony, Lucy
Stone, and Antionette Brown Blackwell.

A large-scale women’s suffrage procession was organized in 1913, known as the Woman
Suffrage Parade. The parade was scheduled just a day before President Woodrow Wilson’s
inauguration on Pennsylvania Avenue. It was organized by the NAWSA and promoted the “New
Woman” of the 20th century. The floats demonstrated women’s contributions and
accomplishments from around the world. Over 5,000 marchers and more than 20 floats took part
in the parade.

The almost century-long struggle to gain women’s suffrage came to an end when Congress
passed the 19th Amendment on June 4, 1919. It was ratified a little over one year later, in August
1920. The amendment made it unlawful for US citizens to be discriminated against based upon
sex when voting. Several states, mainly in the South, initially rejected the 19th Amendment.
African American men and women still struggled to receive these rights because of Jim
Crow laws. It took Mississippi more than 60 years to ratify the 19th Amendment. Michigan and
Wisconsin, on the other hand, were quick to ratify it within just six days after it passed the US
Senate’s vote.

The Impact of First-Wave Feminism

Women of Colorado watching the ratification of the 19th Amendment in December 1919, via the
Library of Congress, Washington DC
 

Although the first-wave feminism movement had a narrow focus, it accomplished a great deal.
Securing the right to vote for women allowed them to officially be recognized as active citizens
who could participate in the political arena. First-wave feminism led to women being able to vote
on issues that concerned women’s rights, which would be beneficial for future decisions.

The first wave of feminism died down after the 19th Amendment was passed and ratified.

There were still women’s rights activists who continued to pursue new goals of equality.

The revival of the feminist movement wouldn’t appear until 40 years later in the second

wave of feminism. First-wave feminists heavily influenced new activists that emerged in the

second wave to tackle women’s rights and equality issues.

What Was Achieved By First-Wave

Feminism?
The most notable achievements of first-wave feminism were due to the suffrage
movement. The 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution granted
women the right to vote in 1920 by stipulating that the right to vote could not be
denied because of sex.

Likewise, the suffrage movement in Britain won a complete victory when the
Equal Franchise Act of 1928 allowed all adult women over 21 to vote.

Married Women’s Property Acts in the US and UK expanded the rights of

married women to acquire, hold, use, and dispose of their separate property.
Before this, a women’s property became her husband’s upon marriage. This act
was gradually enforced in the US from 1839 and became UK law in 1882.

Criticisms Of First-Wave Feminism

One of the biggest criticisms of the first wave of feminism is that the focus was
primarily on the rights of white, western, middle-class women.

It is misleading to assume that the women who fought for suffrage did so as a
homogenous group simply because they were all women. Factors such as political
stance, religion, and social class would have shaped how much involvement
women would have in the movement.

In reality, some of the more conservative women in the movement adopted a

segregationist approach that prioritized the voting rights of white women over
Black men and women.

Many Black women were excluded from the suffrage movement or had to form
their own suffrage groups. In some marches, Black women were often made to
march behind white women (Duster, 2019).

The struggles of Black women, who faced additional discrimination for their race
and being women, were often ignored. When abolitionist Sojourner Truth
delivered her famous ‘Aint I a Woman’ speech at the women’s rights convention
in 1851, many white women wanted her to be silenced, fearing that she would
divert attention away from women’s suffrage (Crenshaw, 1989).

In many cases during this wave of feminism, white feminists have fought for
white women’s rights while being complicit with structural racism (Brewer,
2020). Elizabeth Cady Stanton notably opposed the amendment, which granted
Black men the right to vote. Stanton, among others, argued that Black men
should not be permitted to vote before white women, often using racial
discrimination to push for their own rights (Davis, 1981).

Even after the vote was granted to American women in 1920, voters had to pay a
fee or complete literacy tests to vote, which means that those who were poorer or
without a high enough level of education would not have been able to vote.

At the time, this would have meant that African Americans in poorer
communities would face barriers to voting. It would not be until the Voting
Rights Act of 1965 removed any such barrier that may have stopped someone
from casting their vote.