Final answer:
The Woman Surfridge movement was divided over the 15th administration due to conflicting views on the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments, different suffrage strategies, and concerns about family dynamics and gender roles.
Step-by-step explanation:
The main reasons why members of the Woman Surfridge movement were divided over the 15th administration in the United States include conflicting views on the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments, different strategies for achieving women's suffrage, and concerns about the impact of suffrage on family dynamics and gender roles.
One division was caused by conflicting views on the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments. Some women's rights leaders, such as Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony, opposed these amendments because they introduced gender discrimination into the Constitution. Others, like Lucy Stone, supported the Fifteenth Amendment despite its limitations because they believed it was a step towards suffrage.
Another division arose from different strategies for achieving suffrage. Stanton and Anthony sought a constitutional amendment, while Stone favored a state-by-state approach. The two groups eventually merged to form the National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA), which initially argued that women's suffrage would uplift politics and counterbalance the votes of immigrants.
Lastly, concerns about the impact of suffrage on family dynamics and gender roles led to divisions within the movement. Opponents of suffrage argued that it would increase family strife, erode traditional gender boundaries, and expose women to the corrupt world of politics. These concerns reflected broader societal anxieties about changing gender roles during the early 20th century.