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FEATURE: The Battle for Women’s Right to Vote, in Cartoons

by Twin Cities Arts Reader -

It’s Election Day in the United States. This is a poignant time to reflect on what hasn’t changed in American politics, and what still has to. This is the counterpart to the partner feature on anti-women’s suffrage cartoons, a genre whose ugly overtones have resurfaced in the current election cycle.

Here are some historic cartoons used to promote women’s suffrage in the late-19th and early-20th centuries:

The steamroller of progress crushes the opposition.
The steamroller of progress crushes the opposition.
One of the most convincing arguments employed by women's suffragists was women's long participation in the American workplace.
One of the most convincing arguments employed by women’s suffragists was women’s long participation in the American workplace.
Lou Rogers penned numerous pro-suffrage cartoons.
Lou Rogers penned numerous pro-suffrage cartoons.
Women's suffrage as a tidal wave sweeping away the opposition.
Women’s suffrage as a tidal wave sweeping away the opposition.
The character of Wonder Woman, although not created until 1941, was co-opted for this retro cartoon.
The character of Wonder Woman, although not created until 1941, was co-opted for this retro cartoon.
A Punch cartoon depicting the siren call of women's suffrage as irresistable.
A Punch cartoon depicting the siren call of women’s suffrage as irresistable.

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Another cartoon showing women's suffrage as an unavoidable event that the opposition was vainly trying to stop.
Another cartoon showing women’s suffrage as an unavoidable event that the opposition was vainly trying to stop.
A Lou Rogers cartoon dismissing anti-suffrage rhetoric as baseless.
A Lou Rogers cartoon dismissing anti-suffrage rhetoric as baseless.
Another cartoon depicting the problems of ratifying the 19th Amendment giving women the right to vote.
Another cartoon depicting the problems of ratifying the 19th Amendment giving women the right to vote.
This editorial cartoon analogizes fastening a tight dress with the problems of fully ratifying the women's voting rights amendment.
This editorial cartoon analogizes fastening a tight dress with the problems of fully ratifying the women’s voting rights amendment.
This New Zealand cartoon depicts the long gap between women's suffrage and their reaching higher office.
This New Zealand cartoon depicts the long gap between women’s suffrage and their reaching higher office.

Twin Cities Arts Reader

The Twin Cities Arts Reader is an arts and lifestyles magazine whose coverage examines arts and selected activities in the state of Minnesota and across the country. It provides Minnesota's largest source of in-depth, critical theatre coverage, and reaches more than 600,000 readers per year.

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