Paper 14-Critical Analysis

I remember reading a book once titled Other Powers and it was about a woman who
against unsurmountable odds accomplished a lot of things for the womans suffrage movement
and despite it has gained little mention in our history books. So the womans suffrage movement
is the social movement that Ive chosen to do my paper on for the social movement of the past.
For the social movement of the present, Ive chosen the anti-globalization movement.
The womens suffrage movement began in 1848 at a womans rights convention in
Seneca Falls, New York ("Women in the Progressive Era," n.d.). The word suffrage might
suggest that the aim was to end suffering of some sort but it actually entails the rights to vote and
in the case of womans suffrage it was with regards to the rights of woman to vote. There were
many advocates and leaders that led this movement but the name that comes up in most peoples
minds would probably be Susan B. Anthony. There was however huge contributions made by
people like Victoria C. Woodhull who because of her radical ideals and practices failed to meet
the good graces of people like Susan B. Anthony and Karl Marx ("Women in the Progressive
Era," n.d.) and was thus given little recognition for the things that shes done for the cause of
womans suffrage.
Though it started in 1848, it wasnt until nearly 100 years later in August 26, 1920 that
the 19th Amendment to the constitution was ratified and women finally had their right to vote.
After that is, years of campaigns of female suffrage, repertories (like what was eventually created
to be The National American Woman Suffrage Associate), and WUNC displays of all sorts like
the meeting in Seneca Falls as well as many riots in various forms ("Fight for Womens Suffrage
- Womens History - HISTORY.com," n.d.). Much of what women had to do to gain their rights
to vote is not far from what people have to do today in movements like anti-globalization.

Much like suffrage might suggest suffering globalization may suggest trading and
practices that encompasses the entire world but its more than that. Its about increased
inequality and global poverty among many other things ("Defining the Anti-Globalization
Movement | Democracy Uprising," n.d.). What people of the past didnt have was all the
technology that we have today to campaign and raise awareness on issues aside from printed
material. That is, all I could find for examples of public discourse for the speeches made at the
womans rights convention in Seneca Falls, for example, were transcriptions of speeches like this
one by Elizabeth Cady Stanton: http://www.greatamericandocuments.com/speeches/stantonseneca-falls.html, as well as other historical interpretations found on YouTube. Nothing ,that is,
as concrete as actual footage of the event as it took place like the following footage on YouTube
of the 1999 protest against the WTO: https://youtu.be/pFamvR9CpYw. There was also a movie
titled Battle in Seattle inspired by the event.
In conclusion, both movements were and are very powerful and regardless of the
mediums available for public discourse it seems if people want to make a change theyll do
whatever is necessary to make sure it happens. Moreover, it seems the best way to go about
making changes is to make them as peaceful as possible so as not to divide ourselves from our
contemporaries who have similar interests like what happened between Victoria C. Woodhull
and Susan B. Anthony. Furthermore, what Ive learned is that through campaigns, peaceful
repertoires, WUNC displays, and lots of patience we can all make a difference and a change to
make our world a better place.
References
Defining the Anti-Globalization Movement | Democracy Uprising. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www.democracyuprising.com/2007/04/anti-globalization-movement/

The Fight for Womens Suffrage - Womens History - HISTORY.com. (n.d.). Retrieved
from http://www.history.com/topics/womens-history/the-fight-for-womens-suffrage
Women in the Progressive Era. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.nwhm.org/onlineexhibits/progressiveera/suffrage.html