The American Equal Rights Association has been formed in eighteen sixty-six in the united States. According to its stated constitution, its main function is “to promote equal rights of men and women, especially the right of equal suffrage, regardless of gender, race or religion.” It also aims at ensuring that no one has unjust privileges and to defend the civil rights of all people regardless of race, religion or sex. In addition, it seeks to guarantee the legal rights and freedoms of all Americans irrespective of their race, gender, or ethnic origin.

Image Credit: Flickr/ CC BY-SA 2.0 Bystanders in front of a mural of Abraham Lincoln. This mural shows a scene of a peaceful citizenry raising their hands in silent demonstration against the injustice and cruelty of the majority. The American suffrage movement did not end with this image, as American Woman Suffrage Association helped to popularize the message “secession is no longer the solution”. It inspired other Americans to stand up for their rights and against political tyrants. In response, political authorities enacted further legislative acts guaranteeing women equal rights and opportunities.

Image Credit: Flickr/ CC BY-SA 2.0 Unarmed Civilians on the front lines of the American suffrage movement. This image shows marchers being separated into smaller groups by police, so that they could not meet together to peacefully protest the passing of the Proclamation of Independence. On the morning of August 15th, an unknown person fired shots into the air above Fort Snelling in Minnesota. A peaceful crowd of protesters who were present that day, could not prevent the shooter from shooting into the air.

Image Credit: Flickr/CC BY-SA 2.0 An image of the suffragettes being overpowered by the white power structure as the suffrage movement gathered momentum in the United States of America. This image is one of the first images of civil disobedience that was a part of the national woman’s rights movement. The white women who participated in this particular action were known as the Moms of the United State. An armed struggle in and of itself did not change the unequal distribution of wealth in the country, but this action did raise consciousness about the injustice that faced the female members of the working class.

Image Credit: Flickr/CC BY-SA 2.0 An image from the suffrage movement that highlights the role played by pregnant women in the suffragism. The image shows Martin Luther King Jr., along with a crowd of others, with signs that read “Sleeping Dogs – Join the Army.” The “Sleeping Dogs” was referring to the police that would arrest peaceful civil disobedience participants if they were found sleeping in their tents. An image of an American woman, whose job was to keep track of registrations at the Women’s Rights Convention in New York. This woman was identified as Betty Shabazz.

Image Credit: Flickr/CC BY-SA 2.0 An image from the 19th century focusing on the relationship between black and white women. The caption reads as follows, “A picture from the history of the National Woman Suffrage Association, which portrayed a black woman, Miss Catherine Woolson. On the top of the poster is a caption that said, “I am a happy black woman because I have liberty.” A very emotional scene depicted in this poster came just a few weeks after Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassinated. He was shot down while on a bus and died just before reaching an ambulance. It became a symbol of his fight for equal rights for all Americans.