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Women of the nineteenth century were considered second class citizens, and were expected to love and obey their husbands; they were never to express a thought or opinion. "A husband ruled or owned his wife and their house, land, and belongings. By law, married women could not own property. Even their clothes and any earnings they made did not legally belong to them (Monroe, 24)." It was considered to be inappropriate if a woman were to speak in public and, especially, women did not have the right to vote. However, soon after the beginning of the 1800's, the idea of equality was instrumental in influencing the Woman's Suffrage Movement. After a 72-year struggle, women's right to vote became one of the most important legacies of the 1920's. The Woman's Suffrage Movement began in 1848 when a group of American women met in Seneca Falls, New York to negotiate women's rights in the United States. These women issued what became known as the Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions, a document outlining the demand for equal rights. The convention was convened as planned, and over the two days of discussion, the Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions received agreement endorsement by the government, granting women a few amendments; however, the government refused to grant women the right to vote, one of the main resolutions that would grant women equality with men (www.nara.gov). After this, women all over the United States began having conventions encouraging others to get involved with the suffrage movement.
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