First Wave Feminism and the Suffrage Movement

This page will focus on first wave feminism and the suffrage movement, specifically looking at intersectionality as it relates to the movement in terms of the inclusion or exclusion of Black and Indigenous women and women of color more broadly. This will be roughly focused on the time period during which the movement began, which is around 1848, up until about 1920 when the 19th amendment was ratified. Specifically, it will look to address the following question: how were women of color involved in, or neglected throughout, the movement of first wave feminism and how was this reflected in the events or writings during the movement?

The focus will be on the movement in the United States and will look at some of the important female figureheads of the movement at the time, including women such as Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Stanton, and Ida B. Wells. The goal for this page is to ultimately look into the representation of minority groups within the movement and how those were or were not properly represented or advocated for.