Original Painting
Will E. Chapin : http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-emD9N72C1bU/T2-4vyJCdtI/AAAAAAAAABs/OP3dAi3yf9U/s1600/Last_Few_Buttons.gif
drew this cartoon for the St. Louis Star, and it implied that he believed that the last steps of the women’s suffrage movement were shown to be the most difficult in that the 19th Amendment had been passed by Congress but not yet ratified. This cartoon was published in Star March 27, 1920 during the time between the 19th Amendment’s passing June 4, 1919 and its ratification August 18, 1920. As it was published during this time, it was meant to represent the suffragist’s struggle at the end of their struggle for the 19th Amendment. It was originally published in Star in St. Louis, so readers in St. Louis would have read this cartoon first. This political cartoon referenced the suffragist movement in its final steps to make the 19th Amendment a reality through its ratification. Suffragists had campaigned for and devoted themselves to national suffrage for many years; some of them risking their well being to do so. Suffragists had worked very hard, and in saying that getting the 19th Amendment ratified was the hardest, Chapin credited as being a very difficult process. The person depicted was a woman and the tool she had in her hand was labeled ‘ratification’ and her dress was labeled ‘national suffrage’, so she should be recognized as a suffragist working for ratification. This cartoon was created for Star, and it was meant for suffragists and congressmen as they were involved in the referenced situation. Likewise, it was them who would have been influenced by the sketch as they are involved in the real situation it was based on. Suffragists may have been insulted as they were depicted as looking caught and frazzled, even though their effort does not need to be seen as a negative. This cartoon was produced to depict the circumstances of the national suffrage movement at the time. It conveyed that even though the suffragists were working hard, they were having trouble achieving their final goal since the bill had yet to be ratified. This particular cartoon was specific to the events during the time of its creation. Although suffragists were trying their best to make national suffrage a reality, Congress’ ratification was still hard to accomplish. This was a significant cartoon as it referenced an important movement in American history, the suffrage movement. It implied that suffragists were failing since it had not been ratified. This political cartoon could have influenced suffragists or congressmen during this time.