Purpose and Progression of the Movement

The first wave of the feminist movement was really born out of the main motivating factor which was that in order for women to even have the option or ability to improve conditions for themselves in the domestic sphere, workplace, legal system, etc. they would need to have the ability to participate in the sphere which granted them access to make those changes: entering the political sphere and gaining the right to vote. 

This is seen in the monumental event which started the wave in the first place, that being the convention at Seneca Falls in 1848. Throughout the next 70 or so years, the fight to gain the right to vote intensified until the year 1920 when it was finally granted in the 19th amendment. Even before the amendment was ratified, women were already gaining more access, power, and freedom than they previously had, which amounted to the founding of several organizations pushing for women’s rights, as seen in the timelines, as well as the founding of federal organizations as well such as the Women’s Bureau in the US Department of Labor.

Looking at the following document from the time, it demonstrates the logic behind what motivated women during this first wave of feminism in the US. Not only does it clearly outline the demands of women and why they wanted the vote, but it also established the vote as being the primary purpose of the movement at all.