October 23

On this day – 23rd October 1850 – The first National Women’s Rights Convention

This convention was held in Massachusetts on the 23-24 October 1850. The Convention was held to increase the visibility of women’s rights in the US and both male and females participated. A majority of the 900 participants were, however, men. The convention was thereafter held every year. The 23d also mark the day for a huge suffrage march in New York City in 1915. By that time had women’s rights increased compared to the Convention in 1850, but women were still lacking the right to vote in the US. Over 25.000 women marched up on Fifth Avenue which made it to the largest held in the city. People were, however, skeptical and New York Times ran an article arguing that “granted the suffrage, they would demand all the rights that implies. It is not possible to think of women as soldiers and sailors, police patrolmen, or firemen”. It would take another five years before the right to vote was given to women in the US.

The Suffrage Parade 1912