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Women Activists 1870–1892
During the 1871 elections, women marched to the polls in an attempt to vote. This daring new style of activism was called the "New Departure." The plan was: go vote, get arrested, and argue your theory in court. Roadblocks set up to counter the New Departure forced suffragists down other avenues of bold activism. Activists traveled the lecture circuit, promoting abolition, education reform and women's rights. Others chose to defy society's expectations of women by harnessing the power of the press, running for public office and public protest. |