Section 5: The Legacy of the American Civil War

In the aftermath of the American Civil War, women outnumbered men in Tennessee for years. As a result, women moved into occupations previously held by men, and for the first time in history, nursing and teaching became female-dominated professions. Despite this progress, working women were still stigmatized. To combat these inequalities, professional organizations for women were formed, such as the American Equal Rights Association (AERA) which was established in 1866.

In 1868, Americans (read: white males) voted for the 14th Amendment to the US Constitution, extending liberties and rights granted by the Bill of Rights to formerly enslaved people. In 1869, they voted for the 15th Amendment, granting Black men the right to vote. The political approach to the 15th Amendment fractured the AERA into a pro-amendment faction (which became the American Woman Suffrage Association or AWSA) and an anti-amendment faction (which became the National Woman Suffrage Association or NWSA). However, both factions believed Black suffrage and white suffrage were different issues.

To the surprise of women who had worked so hard in the Anti-Slavery Movement, the 14th Amendment specifically excluded women from voting, granting that privilege only to “male” citizens. There was wide political support for ending slavery but not for giving women the right to vote. As a result, Section 2 of the amendment was worded: 

With the insertion of the word “male” into the amendment, the US Constitution was no longer technically gender-blind.