Western states like Wyoming and Colorado allowed women to vote before
the turn of the century. In the case of Colorado, this was decided by a
vote of males. Wives exercised influence over their husbands, they
organized extremely well, and they caught the anti-temperance folks
completely by surprise. A lot of the upper-class women in charge of
organization made sure to reach out to poor women, and jumped a lot of
class lines.
Women nationally and regionally used the image of the mother and the
stewardess of the home. If women were supposed to educate effective
citizens in their sons, then how could they when they weren't allowed to
practice what they taught? Women also argued that they needed to vote
in school board elections and for children's issues because that was the
domain of their sex.
Look into some of the more radical tactics, too. Some of the suffragists
used hunger strikes and pleas to the press to make men sympathetic to
their cause. They argued that, as they had no say in the laws, they
could not be held responsible for breaking them.
And when all else failed, hey, vote anyway! That's what Susan B. Anthony
did, and she got arrested and convicted for voting. They would not
allow her to testify in her own defense because she was female. She was
allowed to give a sentencing statement, but the judge tried to cut her
off early and ordered her to shut up and sit down. She took that order
about as well as you would expect. It is a very good read.
These Open Door Notes aimed to secure international agreement to the U.S. policy of promoting equal opportunity for international trade and commerce in China, and respect for China's administrative and territorial integrity.