S1/E17 Women's Suffrage with Cathleen Cahill

Send us Fan MailRob and Eric are joined by Dr. Cathleen Cahill to discuss ways to teach the women’s suffrage movement in the United States.  Cathleen is the Walter L. Ferree and Helen P. Ferree Professor of Middle-American History at Penn State.  She begins by urging teachers to conceptualize this topic beyond the standard narrative that starts with the Seneca Falls Convention in 1848 and ends with the ratification of the 19th amendment in 1920.  Expanding beyond this framework allows teachers to connect this story to the larger movement for voting rights which spans many years and includes a diverse array of historical actors.  When teachers do address the women’s suffrage movement in the late 19th and early 20th centuries they should present it as a broad, grassroots movement that occurred at both the state and national levels.  They should also emphasize the participation of women of color who infused their concerns about larger issues of citizenship and equality into the movement.  The ratification of the 19th amendment was a turning point, and women continued to work for their political aims after 1920.  She encourages teachers to explore with their students both how women advocated for the vote in their own states and to analyze how the strategies women utilized in the late 19th and early 20th century influenced modern forms of protest and civic engagement.Lesson Plans and resources:The “Women of Color in the Suffrage Movement” lesson can be found at https://bit.ly/4eg8FuUThe “Women’s Suffrage Movement- One State At a Time” lesson can be found at https://bit.ly/4dHuKT8The Gilded Age and Progressive Era Podcast, co-hosted by Dr. Cahill, can be found at www.shgape.org/the-gilded-age-and-progressive-era-podcast/Database of historical state constitutions: http://www.stateconstitutions.umd.edu/index.aspx CreditsOpening theme music, “Bossa Bossa,” created by Clare Howard www.clarehoward.com  Music supported by the National Council for History Education www.ncheteach.orgTransition theme music, “The Clock is Ticking,” created by Emily Hahn.Logo artwork created by Jessica Goldman.Shit I Have to Teach in 20 Minutes is produced by Eric Hahn and Rob Good.  Audio and video editing by Sebastian Rosales.Email us at [email protected]: https://www.youtube.com/@historyintwentyInstagram:historyintwenty