论美国建国初期新泽西州妇女选举权——1776—1807年的一个历史考察

New Jersey Women’s Suffrage after the U.S.Independence,1776—1807

美国建国之初,在欧洲启蒙运动、自由民主革命以及女权主义等进步思想、州内异常激烈的党派斗争以及奉行平等思想的贵格派等影响下,新泽西州宪法以及后续相关法案赋予了女性"货真价实"的选举权,代表着美国女性公民权所能达到的至高点,为半个世纪后启动的美国女性选举权运动开启了令人鼓舞的第一篇章。然而,1807年,在根深蒂固的反女权思想、新兴党派恶性斗争以及政治势力均衡发生变更等背景之下,选举舞弊与腐败使女性成为"替罪羊",女性选举权被州议会通过的一纸法案轻易废止。新泽西女性选举权31年间(1776—1807)得而复失之历史虽然短暂,但却清晰折射出"政治权宜至上"这一美国选举政治的核心要素,也为我们更为全面地了解美国女性选举权运动提供了一个极佳案例。

After the U.S.Independence,women in New Jersey were granted voting rights by the State Constitution and several ensuing laws.The progressive ideas,including European Enlightenment theories,American Revolutionary principles and the early feminist thoughts,contributed to this achievement.In addition,women’s voting rights were also an unexpected result of extremely fierce political competition in the state,as well as the predominant Quaker population who adhered to egalitarian principles.The1776 New Jersey Constitution and the voting laws in the following years represented the peak of American women’s civil rights,opening an inspirational chapter for the American Woman’s Suffrage Movement half a century later.However,due to the entrenched anti-feminist thoughts,newly emerged vicious party fights and the changing power balance,women became the scapegoat of unprecedented voting fraud and corruption,thus the year 1807 witnessed the repeal of women’s voting rights by the New Jersey legislature.Although the period in which New Jersey women held voting rights(from 1776 to 1807)was short,it clearly reflected"the political expediency"in American voting politics.This case helps us fully understand the American Woman’s Suffrage Movement.