The patriarchal structure of most communities suggested that women and men perform different social functions, and accordingly gave them different sets of rights and obligations. Women were usually dependent on their father or husband, and therefore their property and civil rights, including the right to vote and to be elected, were often limited. Until the 19th century, women’s right to vote was granted locally and, as a rule, was accompanied by additional restrictions. Then began a period of growing activity of the women’s suffrage movement. These activities led to its consolidation in international law in the middle of the 20th century.
Women’s organizations in the late 1800s were the leading force in the battle for women’s rights. More and more women were starting to speak their minds, and it caused controversial public reactions: movements found both their supporters and opposers. After the Civil War, the campaign was disorganized because of those who opposed the 14th and the 15th Amendments. This was their main disadvantage: there were several organizations, and they all had their own views on the matters of women’s rights and their own political tools to achieve their goals.
On one side there was the National Women Suffrage Association (NWSA), who were the advocates of the 15th Amendment’s repeal. On the other hand, the American Women Suffrage Association (AWSA) formed by Lucy Stone, Henry Blackwell, and Julia Ward Howe supported the 15th Amendment, and also pursued voting rights for women on a national level. It was hard for women to decide whom to join, so, not all women were receptive to propaganda. What was good about these organizations is that they all had their definitive agendas, rather than seeking obscure goals. In 1890, however, AWSA and NWSA decided to join and became the National American Women Suffrage Association (NAWSA). By this time, women in several states received the right to vote.