Date on Honors Thesis

Fall 11-13-2020

Department

**Jesse D. Jones College of Science, Engineering and Technology**

Major

History/Social Studies Certification

Examining Committee Member

Dr. Eleanor Rivera, Advisor

Examining Committee Member

Dr. Kathy Callahan, Committee Member

Examining Committee Member

Dr. Olga Koulisis, Committee Member

Abstract/Description

The 1910s was a decade characterized by technological advancement, World War I, and a global movement for women’s suffrage, which would eventually culminate with legislation, most notably the 19th Amendment in the United States. In the United States, women staged protests throughout the country and were known to stand outside of the White House with taunting signs for President Woodrow Wilson to read. This movement came to the United States from other parts of the globe, particularly Britain, and suffragists from other countries were known to travel to the States to give presentations and provide guidance to suffragists on this side of the pond. The suffrage movement is most associated with the bigger cities in New York and the capital, but an unrecognized, albeit important, contribution came from the grassroots movements of rural areas. Here, women were less likely to stand out and preferred working under the relative safety of an organization. This holds true for many states that had their standout suffragists who started clubs and petitioned the government, but these states also had lesser-known suffragists who worked as a group within local organizations. This is seen within the state of Kentucky, as well, and in the rural area of the Jackson Purchase Area, the eight western-most counties of the state. In the Jackson Purchase Area, women joined grassroots organizations to aid in the Women’s Suffrage Movement through group effort rather than individual contributions despite the generally negative perceptions of both the region and the media.

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