Final answer:
The NWSA, under Stanton and Anthony, sought a constitutional amendment for women's suffrage and addressed broader gender equality issues, while the AWSA, led by Lucy Stone, took a more conservative state-by-state approach. They merged into the NAWSA in 1890.
Step-by-step explanation:
The National Woman Suffrage Association (NWSA), led by Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, differed from the American Woman Suffrage Association (AWSA) in their approaches to achieving the goal of women's suffrage. The NWSA sought a constitutional amendment to grant women the right to vote, aiming for a change at the federal level. They were also more radical in their beliefs, taking on wider issues of gender discrimination such as women's property rights, divorce laws, and contraception. Conversely, the AWSA, led by Lucy Stone, was more conservative and favored a state-by-state approach to women's suffrage, hoping to work within existing legal frameworks and focusing on practical gains like voting rights in school and local elections.
Both organizations eventually merged in 1890 to form the National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA), with strategies evolving to link suffrage to traditional gender roles under new leadership, which helped make gains particularly in western states. Yet, racial dynamics also played a part, with the NAWSA at times catering to racial prejudices to gain support in the South.