Although women could not vote in 19th-century America, they often took a keen
interest in politics and participated in political events (see "Women's Role" in Campaigning). From the days of the early
republic, the ideal of "republican motherhood" assigned women the
vital task of ensuring that their children were educated in the values and
practices of good citizenship. In 1848, the women's rights movement gained
prominence at the Seneca Falls Convention.