why were there women in the anti-suffragette movement? why wouldn't women want to choose their leaders?

Question

i read that when the suffragette movement was started, many of its opponents were female. they and their male counterparts picketed against the idea of giving women the right to vote. what i want to know is, i know there were some backwards thinking men then, just as there were forward thinking ones who thought women should be allowed to vote. but why would a woman balk at being given more freedom?

Answer 1

This is happening today as well when you notice that there are some women who are against feminism as well. These women have been coerced into thinking that they can gain favour with men by joining ranks with them. They don't realize that they are losing rights for their sisters, daughters and mothers.

Answer 2

Here's the deal, your teacher most likely wants you think that women were oppressed by not being able to vote. This is simply not the case. Your 2 perspective points are the following: 1. Men and women thought that women should not vote because men already took care of women's needs. Therefore women generally did not care to vote if given the opportunity. 2. Women felt, rightfully so for that time, that they best served society by staying at home while having men hold the burden of politics. The attention grabber should read "Women did not want to vote because men gave women everything they wanted". Barbara Leigh Smith Bodichon was the pioneer of the UK suffarage movement, which the US later adopted. I suggest you copy and paste the link into a browser and read her argument for allowing women to vote. I know you are young, but don't let the public school system teach you that women were oppressed. I hope as you grow older, the truth will liberate you. Good luck! Regards

Answer 3

Some people, men as well as women, have trouble adjusting to change. People are not all the same. They have different feelings about things. Just as some women are militant in the women's movement today and others think they go too far. This is politics and you will always find differing opinions. I think the responsibility of voting and the newfound freedom that accompanied it actually frightened many women then. Also, hasn't it occurred to you that many women (and men) still don't vote? My personal feeling is that I have the right to vote and I intend to always exercise that right. I feel it is our duty as well as our right.

Answer 4

Same reasons as today from what I have read. Some were not very well educated about the subject, others thought they were following moral and ethical values, some were divided over race. Hope htis answers your question! Women could have had the vote much earlier.

Answer 5

Because they know that the vote was not just given to them for free and that there will be a price to pay. Women have not yet realized how much they will have to pay up to for their "liberation". Just wait untill marriage will be undone and every woman/mother will be expected to hold a job and make ends meet with her own money, with no alimony and child support coming her way.

Answer 6

The 'reasons' (below) were used at the time to justify denying women the vote:

“Our Own Twelve Anti-suffragist Reasons”

1. Because no woman will leave her domestic duties to vote.
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2. Because no woman who may vote will attend to her domestic duties.
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3. Because it will make dissension between husband and wife.
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4. Because every woman will vote as her husband tells her to.
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5. Because bad women will corrupt politics.
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6. Because bad politics will corrupt women.
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7. Because women have no power of organization.
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8. Because women will form a solid party and outvote men.
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9. Because men and women are so different that they must stick to different duties.
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10. Because men and women are so much alike that men, with one vote each, can represent their own views and ours too.
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11. Because women cannot use force.
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12. Because the militants did use force.

There are some real dinosaurs on this forum who still believe "reason #9" is valid. The truly amazing part is that most of these guys are young men ('boys' really) and we are now living in the 21st century: NOT THE 19th!!!

Answer 7

Because women were so conditioned in those days.

Have to watched the movie "Guess whoe coming to dinner."

The maid in that thinks that Sydney Poitier (scuse spelling) is getting too big for his boots, and should stay in his place.

This is the sort of mentallity that pervaded in the suffragettte times.

Beside the English class system didn't encourage social mobility.
Let me aks you this, and mayebe in aswering the question you'll find your own answer,
Why is the class system so entrenched in todays so called free society?

Answer 8

Because most women like to be controlled by a man.

Answer 9

Here are some interesting articles on the subject:

http://womenshistory.about.com/od/suffrageanti/AntiSuffrage_Arguments_and_Activists.htm

Answer 10

Tradition and growing up thinking one way and knowing no other and being afraid of change.