Cult of Domesticity
Where was a woman’s “place” in society according to the Cult of Domesticity?
In the private sphere/ in the home (cooking, cleaning, raising children).
Give one social reason people opposed women’s suffrage.
It would hurt families, cause divorce, crime, poor health, or was against God’s design.
Name one major women’s suffrage leader.
Alice Paul or Carrie Chapman Catt
Which group aligned with and supported the Democratic Party (aka President Wilson)?
National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA).
What is the right to vote called?
Suffrage
Name one of the four traits of the Cult of Domesticity.
Piety, Purity, Submissiveness, or Domesticity.
Give one political reason people opposed women’s suffrage.
Women lacked political knowledge, women know nothing about war/defense, southern states didn't want women of color voting.
Who supported the “Winning Plan,” state-by-state suffrage?
Carrie Chapman Catt (NAWSA).
What does NWP stand for?
National Woman’s Party.
Why did they believe the right to vote was the most important first step?
It gave them a voice in government to change laws and gain citizenship rights.
How did Emily Leighton demonstrate the Cult of Domesticity in Iron Jawed Angels?
Taking care of children, husband, avoiding politics, etc.
Give one economic reason people opposed women’s suffrage.
Women didn’t understand shipping, trade, or careers, so unqualified for those decisions. Businesses didn't want suffrage because they'd have to pay women more. Afraid of job competition.
Who pushed for a federal amendment and used parades, picketing, and hunger strikes?
Alice Paul (NWP).
What does NAWSA stand for?
National American Woman's Suffrage Association
Name one political way women’s lives would change after gaining the vote.
Could vote, run for office, serve on juries, change laws.
How did Emily Leighton resist the Cult of Domesticity in Iron Jawed Angels?
Examples include: donating money, picketing, refusing bail, hunger strike, standing up to husband.
How did political arguments against suffrage connect to maintaining male power?
They kept women dependent, limited their influence, and upheld men’s authority in law and family.
How did Alice Paul’s Quaker background influence her beliefs about equality?
Quakers believed in equality for all, influencing her radical tactics.
Which group avoided political affiliation and used more radical tactics?
NWP
Name one social way women’s lives would change after gaining the vote.
Social: better divorce/education laws
Explain why the Cult of Domesticity limited women’s opportunities outside the home.
It reinforced restrictive gender norms, preventing participation in politics, jobs, and education.
Evaluate: Which type of anti-suffrage argument (social, political, or economic) was most common and why?
The most common anti-suffrage arguments were social. Many people thought women’s place was in the home, and they believed voting would distract women from their duties as wives and mothers. This idea fit traditional gender roles, so it was the strongest and most widespread argument against suffrage.
Where did Alice Paul study abroad and how did this influence her activism?
England. Here she made friends with English Suffragettes and learned radical strategies such as hunger strikes, picketing, and civil disobedience.
Why did the NWP and NAWSA use such different strategies?
Their leaders’ backgrounds and views on political pressure shaped different approaches (Catt more conservative, Paul influenced by British suffragists).
How could gaining the right to vote change women's lives economically?
They could vote for fair wages, better working conditions, more jobs.