Teaching Justice: Suffrage Cartoons

National Woman's Party cartoonist Nina E. Allender, seated at desk, facing left with head turned toward camera, holding a cartoon sketch in her lap. ca. 1916.

Harris & Ewing photographers. National Woman's Party collection, Library of Congress

Created in collaboration with the Hard History Project

Grade Level

This activity was designed for sixth through eighth grade students (ages 11-14)

Anti-Bias Objectives

Identity
Students will express pride, confidence, and healthy self-esteem without denying the value and dignity of other people.

Diversity
Students will

• express comort with people who are both similar to and different from them and engage respectfully with all people.
• develop language and knowledge to accurately and respectfully describe how people (including themselves) are both similar to and different from each other and others in their identity groups.
• respectfully express curiosity about the history and lived experiences of others and will exchage ideas and beliefs in an open-minded way.
• respond to diversity by building empathy, respect, understanding and connection.
• examine diversity in social, cultural, political, and historical contexts rather than in ways that are superficial or oversimplified.

Guiding Questions

How can art be used in the cause of social change? Who is left out of the picture?

Cartooning for Suffrage

Nina Allender used her clever sense of humor and her skill as an artist to change public opinion about women's right to vote. Her cartoons presented the suffragists as political, powerful, and in control--an new approach to drawing women. Women were shown with their hands on their hips, standing proudly in public, demanding to be treated fairly. Her cartoons were visual headlines that captured the news of the week and the spirit of the cause. But Nina Allender's work also presented a misleading picture about the suffrage movement. The Allender Girl she drew was young, white, and privileged, even though working-class women who fought for their rights in the workplace were important drivers of the fight for the vote. In addition, many important and influencial suffragists were Black, Native American, Latina, Asian, and other women of color, but they are never represented in Nina Allender's cartoons.

Political cartoon "Democracy Begins at Home"

Nina Allender. National Woman's Party collection, NPS

Vocabulary

amendment: a change, especially to a document like the Constitution
suffrage: the right to vote
suffragist: someone who works for the right to vote, especially for women

Think About It

Look through the collection of Nina Allender political cartoons and pick two to examine. Then answer the questions.

• In a sentence or two, describe what is happening in the cartoon. How are the women in the picture portrayed?
• What argument is the cartoon making? Look for symbolism and words to guide you.
• Whose perspective is missing? Why do you think some women were not included?
• Who do you think was the intended audience for these political cartoons?

Activity

Research a woman who has been involved in an issue that interests you. It could be someone from history or someone living and working today. Create a cartoon or other artistic representation from her perspective. Write a sentence or two describing what is shown in your picture.

Additional Resources

NPS Links
Nina Allender
Mary Church Terrell
Marie Louise Bottineau Baldwin
Nina Otero-Warren
Mabel Ping-Hua Lee
Dolores Huerta
African American Women and the 19th Amendment
On Their Shoulders Essay Series

Outside Links
Political Cartoons: Finding Point of View from the Library of Congress
The Vote film from PBS: American Experience
Unladylike2020 series of short videos