Throughout American history, the path of progress to achieve a goal has never been linear. Hurdles occur in the forms of protests and wars. Successes appear in the forms of laws and amendments. The Women’s Rights Movement is the perfect example that shows how progress is uneven.

The Women’s Rights Movement grew out of the Abolitionist Movement of the 1830s and 1840s. Both the Abolitionist and Women’s Rights movements gained public authority to speak about the inferior rights and treatment of slaves and women, respectively. Prominent leaders of the Women’s Rights Movement at that time were Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony. They tried to promote women's lack of suffrage and absence of legal rights such as the right to own property. Although these women were unhappy, the Women’s Rights Movement was put on hold to focus on the urgent Abolitionist Movement. Consequently, because of this shift, the Women’s Rights Movement did not make many political gains during the 19th century.

However, during the 20th century, the Women’s Rights Movement made progress. In the early 1900s, women were fervent for their right to vote. A new leader of the Women’s Rights Movement emerged in Alice Paul. However, before becoming the leader of the Women’s Rights Movement in the United States, Paul moved to England and became part of England’s Women’s Suffrage Movement. While in England, Paul learned many tactics such as using hunger strikes and civil disobedience to gain public sympathy and support. After her time in England, Paul returned to the United States. In 1913, she along with thousands of other women participated in the Suffrage Parade and marched down Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C. They marched for women’s right to vote and for more women involvement in politics in the United States. To make their efforts noticeable, suffragists held signs while they picketed in front of the White House. However, some women went to jail and refused to eat while in prison. Because of their efforts, these women gained widespread support and public attention. A few years later in 1917, President Woodrow Wilson decided to support the suffrage amendment, and in 1920, this became the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, the women’s right to vote.

The Suffrage Parade of 1913 was an instance of progress within the Women’s Rights Movement. This moment galvanized public support and helped push for women’s suffrage. Although women achieved the right to vote, there were still freedoms women desired such as the freedom from sex discrimination. In 1923, Alice Paul proposed the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) which would codify gender equality in the United States Constitution. Approximately 50 years later, in 1972, the ERA passed both the Senate and House of Representatives. However, the ERA still needed to reach ratification by three-fourths of the states by the deadline of 1982, but the amendment received backlash. In 1972, Phyllis Schlafly created the Stop-ERA campaign, which stood for Stop Taking Our Privileges. Schlafly believed that the ERA would bring undesirable changes to American women such as compelling them to fight in combat alongside men. She glorified traditional roles of women and believed that the husband should be the protector. Schlafly and others involved with the Stop-ERA campaign appealed to Evangelical Christians and other Americans who promoted traditional family values. Ultimately, Schlafly’s strategy succeeded. By the 1982 deadline, only 35 state legislatures voted in favor of the ERA, which was three states shy of the necessary total. Despite early gains, the Women’s Rights Movement faltered at this moment.

Nevertheless, the Women’s Rights Movement made progress again in 2017. On January 21, 2017, women and men worldwide participated in the Women’s March. This march occurred one day after President Donald Trump’s inauguration. Many of the marches aimed at statements he made which many perceived as offensive. Regardless, the featured March on Washington D.C. drew approximately 500,000 people. There were marches in American cities including Chicago and New York and throughout the world in Canada and Mexico. The Women’s Marches received Americans’ attention but also attention from people worldwide. Moreover, the Women’s Marches advocated for policies and legislation regarding issues such as healthcare reform, reproductive rights, and freedom from domestic violence. Marchers believed these goals are achievable and worthy of attention, and the Women’s March highlighted their desires.

The Women’s Rights Movement has made non-linear progress. Although the movement began in the 1830s and 1840s, the first significant legislative gain occurred in 1920, with the passage of the Suffrage Amendment. In the early 1970s, the movement suffered backlash when proclaiming the need for the ERA. In 2017, women and men worldwide marched for women’s rights as part of the Women’s March. Regardless of the obstacles, the Women’s Rights Movement continues forward as women and men strive to uphold the importance of women’s rights and equality.