Anti-suffrage
Anti-suffragists, or "antis," saw no need for change in women's status. They argued that women did not want or need the vote. Their arguments sustained the idea that the vote and women were unfit for one another. Not only were women unfit to vote, but voting would make them unfit to be women.
Anti-suffragists saw the unique nature of women and their special role in the family as the sustaining unit of civilization. From this traditional viewpoint, women were more useful to society outside of party politics.
The NAOWS (National Association Opposed to Woman Suffrage) was formed from state organizations in 1911. Like the NAWSA, it was headquartered in New York City. It organized to fight against NAWSA state amendments campaigns from 1912 to 1918.
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Men Looking in Window of National Anti-Suffrage Association
A group of men read signs on NAOWS's New York headquarter windows. A woman passing by glances over her shoulder. The signs most likely present the NAOWS view, that women helped the community more if not tainted by dirty politics, which many man agreed with.
- Suffrage photograph
Anti-suffragists saw the unique nature of women and their special role in the family as the sustaining unit of civilization. From this traditional viewpoint, women were more useful to society outside of party politics.
The NAOWS (National Association Opposed to Woman Suffrage) was formed from state organizations in 1911. Like the NAWSA, it was headquartered in New York City. It organized to fight against NAWSA state amendments campaigns from 1912 to 1918.
____________________________________________________________________________
Men Looking in Window of National Anti-Suffrage Association
A group of men read signs on NAOWS's New York headquarter windows. A woman passing by glances over her shoulder. The signs most likely present the NAOWS view, that women helped the community more if not tainted by dirty politics, which many man agreed with.
- Suffrage photograph
Men Looking in Window of National Anti-Suffrage Association. 1911. Photographer Harris & Ewing. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C. http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/97500067/
Some Reasons Why We Oppose Votes for Women
Printed broadside explaining NAOWS reasons why women should not votes from the anti-suffrage viewpoint.
Reasons NAOWS opposed Votes for Women. Printed Broadside. Published 1894, New York, National Association Opposing Woman Suffrage. Printed Ephemera Collection. American Memory, Library of Congress Washington D.C. http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.rbc/rbpe.1300130c
