Eleanor Finch
The drafting of the US Constitution in 1787 was a male-dominated affair, with no women present at the daily meetings in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and none voting for or against its adoption. However, this does not mean that women were entirely disengaged from the political process. Some women, like Eliza Harriot, advocated for their inclusion in the new constitutional state, and the language of the Constitution did not explicitly prohibit states from establishing gender-based voting rights. It would be decades before women's suffrage movements gained traction, and the 19th Amendment, granting women the right to vote, was only ratified in 1920.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Were women allowed at the drafting of the US Constitution? | No women were present at the drafting of the US Constitution in 1787. |
| Did women have a say in the US Constitution? | No women voted for or against the adoption of the US Constitution. |
| Did women influence the US Constitution? | Arguably, some women influenced the proceedings of the convention and the language of the final document. |
| Were women allowed to vote in the US? | From the founding of the US in 1776 to the end of the Civil War in 1865, none of the states consistently recognised a woman's right to vote in federal or state elections. |
| When did women gain the right to vote in the US? | The 19th Amendment, ratified on 18 August 1920, granted women the right to vote in the US. |
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What You'll Learn
Abigail Adams' letter to her husband
Women were not allowed to participate in the drafting of the US Constitution. The Constitution, proposed and ratified by men in the late 1780s, did not prohibit states from imposing gender-based voting restrictions. It wasn't until the 19th Amendment was passed in 1920 that women gained the right to vote in the United States.
Now, here is the requested information about Abigail Adams' letter to her husband:
Abigail Adams, wife of John Adams, wrote a letter to her husband on March 31, 1776, just a few months before the United States declared its independence from Great Britain. In this letter, Adams urged her husband, who was serving as ambassador to Great Britain, to "remember the ladies" when drafting the laws and framework for the new government. She wrote:
> "I long to hear that you have declared an independency. And, by the way, in the new code of laws which I suppose it will be necessary for you to make, I desire you would remember the ladies and be more generous and favorable to them than your ancestors. Do not put such unlimited power into the hands of the husbands. Remember, all men would be tyrants if they could. If particular care and attention is not paid to the ladies, we are determined to foment a rebellion and will not hold ourselves bound by any laws in which we have no voice or representation."
Adams' letter was a private yet powerful step in the fight for equal rights for women in America. Her words highlight the determination and spirit of women who were not content to be forgotten or marginalized in the new nation's laws and governance. Adams recognized the importance of ensuring that women's voices were heard and their rights protected, even if she did not live to see the full realization of her hopes during her lifetime.
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The 19th Amendment
Women were not present at the drafting of the US Constitution. In March 1776, a few months before the United States declared its independence from Great Britain, Abigail Adams wrote to her husband, John Adams, who was serving as ambassador to Great Britain:
> "If particular care and attention are not paid to the Ladies, we are determined to foment a Rebellion, and will not hold ourselves bound by any Laws in which we have no voice, or Representation."
John Adams did not attend the Constitutional Convention. The Constitution, proposed and ratified by men in the late 1780s, did not prohibit the states from establishing gender-based restrictions on voting.
The first women's suffrage amendment was introduced in Congress in 1878 but was rejected in 1887. In the 1890s, suffrage organizations focused on a national amendment while still working at the state and local levels. By 1912, nine western states had adopted woman suffrage legislation. In 1916, almost all major suffrage organizations united behind the goal of a constitutional amendment. When New York adopted women's suffrage in 1917 and President Wilson changed his position to support an amendment in 1918, the political balance began to shift. On May 21, 1919, the House of Representatives passed the amendment, and two weeks later, the Senate followed. Tennessee became the 36th state to ratify the amendment on August 18, 1920, and the amendment passed its final hurdle of obtaining the agreement of three-fourths of the states.
The passage of the 19th Amendment was the result of decades of work by tens of thousands across the country who worked for change. However, ratification did not ensure full enfranchisement, and decades of struggle remained to include African Americans and other minority women in the promise of voting rights. Many women were unable to vote long into the 20th century because of discriminatory state voting laws.
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Women's influence on the Founding Fathers
Women were not allowed at the drafting of the US Constitution. However, women had a profound influence on the Founding Fathers, both personally and politically, during the formation of the United States.
The Founding Fathers, including John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and George Washington, had close friendships with women outside of their marriages. These relationships offered a space to model equality between the sexes and revealed a softer, more platonic side to the Founding Fathers. For example, John Adams told his friend Mercy Otis Warren in 1776, "the Ladies I think are the greatest Politicians." Thomas Jefferson, while wary of women's involvement in politics, trusted Abigail Adams with political news and often discussed current events with her. He also suggested a unique friendship with his friend Angelica Schuyler Church.
Women like Abigail Adams and Martha Washington kept their family farms running, managed properties, and raised children while their husbands were away on political or military quests. They also provided political advice and influence, with Abigail famously urging her husband to "Remember the Ladies" when asserting human rights in the new nation. Martha Washington accompanied her husband to army encampments, serving as his nurse, and helped set a standard of frugality and elegance for the nation.
Some women took on more active roles, fighting in the Revolution, acting as spies, coordinating boycotts, and raising funds for the army. Molly Pitcher took over her husband's cannon duties at the Battle of Monmouth, and Mary Hays McCauly took her husband's place loading a cannon at the same battle, inspiring future women warriors. Phillis Wheatley, an enslaved poet, wrote poems about George Washington that expressed her support for independence.
The wives, mothers, sisters, and daughters of the Founding Fathers played crucial roles in supporting the separation from England and the American Revolutionary War. Their behind-the-scenes influence and public activities were intelligent and pervasive, shaping the founding of the nation.
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Women's suffrage activism
One notable example is Abigail Adams, who, in March 1776, wrote to her husband, John Adams—who was serving as an ambassador to Great Britain at the time—urging him to "remember the Ladies" when drafting the laws and framework for the new nation. She warned that if women were not given a voice and representation in the government, they would not feel bound by its laws. Unfortunately, her pleas fell on deaf ears, and the Constitution, as proposed and ratified by men in the late 1780s, did not prohibit states from imposing gender-based restrictions on voting.
Despite this setback, women continued to organize and advocate for their right to vote. In the mid-19th century, women's rights organizations became more active, and in 1848, the Seneca Falls convention adopted the Declaration of Sentiments, calling for equality between the sexes and urging women to secure the vote. Activists like Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton led the charge, calling for a constitutional amendment guaranteeing women's suffrage.
The women's suffrage movement gained momentum in the western territories, with Wyoming Territory enacting the first women's suffrage law in 1869, followed by Utah Territory in 1870. However, women's suffrage in Utah was revoked in 1887 with the passage of the Edmunds-Tucker Act. It was not until 1896, when Utah achieved statehood, that women's suffrage was restored. Wyoming, which became a state in 1890, was the first state to guarantee universal suffrage.
The turn of the century saw the emergence of formidable figures in the suffrage movement, such as Wilhelmina Kekelaokalaninui Widemann Dowsett, a Native Hawaiian who helped organize the National Women's Equal Suffrage Association of Hawaii in 1912. The persistent efforts of activists led to increasing support for women's suffrage, and in 1917, Alice Paul organized the Silent Sentinels—thousands of nonviolent protesters who picketed outside the White House gates for 18 months. The harsh treatment of Paul and other activists generated significant national sympathy, and President Wilson announced his support for women's suffrage in his 1918 State of the Union address.
Finally, on June 4, 1919, Congress passed the 19th Amendment, granting women the right to vote, which was ratified on August 18, 1920. This marked a significant victory for women's rights in the United States, though activists like Alice Paul recognized that more work needed to be done to ensure equal rights beyond voting.
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Women's voting rights in the colonies
During the colonial era, the legal and societal status of women was heavily influenced by traditional doctrines and societal norms. The doctrine of coverture, adopted from English common law, held that a married woman had no legal personhood separate from her husband. As a result, women typically had limited legal rights, including the right to own property, enter into contracts, or engage in political activities.
Despite these restrictions, there are a few notable examples of women participating in elections during the colonial period. In 1756, Lydia Taft, a wealthy widow, was allowed to vote in town meetings in Uxbridge, Massachusetts. Additionally, the New Jersey Constitution of 1776 granted voting rights to all adult inhabitants who owned a specified amount of property, regardless of gender. Anecdotal evidence and newspaper reports from the late 18th century also suggest that women in New Jersey voted in significant numbers during this period.
The American Revolution and the subsequent Declaration of Independence sparked discussions about women's rights, including the right to vote. In March 1776, Abigail Adams wrote to her husband, John Adams, urging him to "remember the ladies" when drafting the laws and constitution for the new nation. However, the US Constitution, as ratified in the late 1780s, did not explicitly prohibit states from establishing gender-based restrictions on voting.
In the decades following the Revolutionary War, women continued to advocate for their right to vote. In 1848, hundreds of activists gathered in Seneca Falls for the first women's rights convention, signing the Declaration of Sentiments. Women like Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Lucy Stone, and Frances Ellen Watkins Harper played a significant role in organizing and leading the women's suffrage movement. They lectured, wrote, marched, lobbied, and practiced civil disobedience to achieve what many considered a radical change to the Constitution.
It wasn't until the passage of the 19th Amendment in 1920 that women were legally guaranteed the right to vote in the United States. This amendment states, "The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex." The fight for women's suffrage in the colonies and the early United States was a long and challenging journey, but it ultimately led to a significant victory for women's rights and equality.
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Frequently asked questions
No, no women were present at the drafting of the US Constitution in 1787.
While no women were present at the drafting, some women were politically active and interested in the process. Elizabeth Willing Powel, for example, was a politically active woman who hosted delegates at her home during the drafting of the Constitution. She was at the center of social life during the convention and is recorded as having discussed the "all-important subject" of the Constitution with the delegates.
Women did not have the right to vote when the US Constitution was drafted. However, before 1776, women had the right to vote in several colonies that would become the United States. By 1807, every state constitution had denied women even limited suffrage.
Women gained the right to vote in the US in 1920 with the passing of the 19th Amendment.
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