Question

How did it benefit Western territories to grant women suffrage was it it gave politician of voting advantage, or it is the local suffragist protest, or it prompted unruly Nail settlers to leave or it helped them qualify to join the union

Answer 1

[AI-generated answer — Bot GPT 3.5]

The granting of women suffrage benefited Western territories in multiple ways:

1. Political Advantage: Granting women suffrage gave politicians a voting advantage. By allowing women to vote, politicians could appeal to this expanded base and gain their support. This helped in elections as politicians could target women voters with their campaigns and policies, potentially leading to their success.

2. Suffragist Movement: The local suffragist protests played a significant role in advocating for women's right to vote. Granting suffrage to women in Western territories was a response to the persistent efforts of suffragist groups and their demands for equality. By granting women this right, the territories acknowledged the legitimacy of the suffragist movement and addressed the demands of their constituents.

3. Settler Migration: The notion that granting women suffrage prompted unruly male settlers to leave the territories is a debatable one. While some argue that conservative settlers who were opposed to women's suffrage might have left, this claim lacks concrete evidence. It is important to note that the desire to maintain social stability and attract settlers were key concerns for these territories, which may have influenced their decision to grant women suffrage.

4. Qualifying for Statehood: Granting women suffrage helped territories qualify to join the union as states. The women's suffrage movement was gaining momentum nationally, and many Eastern states had already granted women the right to vote. By extending suffrage to women in Western territories, these territories showed their progressiveness and ability to align with the changing norms of the time. This made them more eligible and appealing to become states within the United States.

Overall, the decision to grant women suffrage in Western territories benefited them politically, allowed them to address the suffragist movement, potentially influenced some settlers' decisions, and helped their prospects of attaining statehood.