Final answer:
Before the suffragist movement, women reformers focused on temperance, the abolition of slavery, and education for women and girls. Their involvement in these causes laid the groundwork for their later advocacy for the right to vote.
Step-by-step explanation:
The causes women reformers and activists focused on before the suffragist movement were primarily temperance, abolition of slavery, and improving education for women and girls. The temperance movement advocated for the prohibition of alcohol, as it was seen as a destabilizing force within families. Women were also actively involved in abolitionism, as the movements for women's rights and the abolition of slavery shared a common support base, with many women being active in both. Additionally, efforts were made to reform education, leading to more women than men graduating from high school by 1870 and a significant presence of women in professions such as teaching and nursing after the Civil War.