Essay on Changing Women's Roles

Back in the nineteenth century men and women were not treated equally as they are now. Women did not have as much freedom as the men did and that caused a national movement. Not only were the women segregated from the men, but the discrimination against the African American race was a huge ordeal as well. With both movements combined, it led to a controversial development at that time. Not only were women fighting for equality, they were also fighting for the prejudice to end amongst the different races. The beginning of the Women’s Rights Movement and the Abolitionist Movement was not only a historic development, but it changed the world forever.

1. Why did Cato object to repealing the Oppian law? What was the basis of his objections?

In the new politic system of the United States the women’s rights were coming to surface. In the reshaping of the government system and the advances that the country was having, the status of the women were as well changing from 1850-1846. Some women had the opportunity for education and other had more participation in religion. For instance, Women played an increasing role in public education during the reform era. Catharine Beecher, a sister of Harriet Beecher Stowe, encouraged women to enter the teaching profession because their natural role suited them to the care and nurturing of children. Women were very active during the reform of humanitarian reforms they were more active than ever. For instance, the spirit of reform was prevalent in the field of women's rights. Many women played a central role in a wide range of historical moral crusades. This reform was the beginning for the movement of women’s rights; they did not totally include all the women’s right but surely was the set point for women to be considered. Not only women participate for their women right but as well they participate in politics with the issue of anti-slavery. For instance, Lucretia Mott and Elizabeth Cady Stanton were two female delegates to the World Anti-Slavery Convention held at London in 1840. Even

Women have always been fighting for their rights for voting, the right to have an abortion, equal pay as men, being able to joined the armed forces just to name a few. The most notable women’s rights movement was headed in Seneca Falls, New York. The movement came to be known as the Seneca Falls convention and it was lead by women’s rights activist Elizabeth Cady Stanton during July 19th and 20th in 1848. Stanton created this convention in New York because of a visit from Lucretia Mott from Boston. Mott was a Quaker who was an excellent public speaker, abolitionist and social reformer. She was a proponent of women’s rights. The meeting lasted for only two days and was compiled of six sessions, which included lectures on law, humorous

Back in the mid 1800’s the first women’s convention was initiated by Elizabeth Stanton, along with others who founded the Women’s Suffrage Movement. After attending an World Anti-Slavery Society meeting, where the women were required to sit is a separate area away from the men, the women decided that they were little better than slaves and decided to do something about it. (Pearson, 2017)

With Seneca Falls, 1848, the movement began in earnest. Early suffragists often had ties to the abolitionist movement. (Lecture 18) With the Civil War era, suffragists split over voting rights for black men. There was a need for regrouping and rethinking in the face of a reconstructed nation because there was a push for black men to get the right to vote. There were Women’s Rights conventions every year up until the Civil War, and in 1851, a resolution that “resolved, the proper sphere, for all human beings is the largest and highest for which they are able to obtain”. (Lecture 24) This captures the true essence of both the Women’s Suffrage Movement and the Abolitionist Movement. Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony were Abolitionists and a majority of suffragettes were as well as well as involvement with the temperance movement. (Ibid) The question was raised, should women keep advocating for women’s rights or do they need to support the war? This resulted in the pause between 1861-1865 when there was not a women’s convention for the first time. Women were deeply involved with the Union cause and were vital to upholding society and keeping stores in business by serving as “deputy husbands”. (Ibid) Women also had a direct role serving in the war, some served as nurses in addition to some fighting for the cause. Sarah Edmunds Seelye was one of the few who fought under a man’s name, she served under Franklin Thompson for the 2nd Michigan Infantry until she deserted due to

Women abolitionists became involved in the movement to abolish slavery and most would be part of the discussion in the first meeting of the American Anti-Slavery Society. Although this was the first time women would be able to run an organization, they were not permitted to serve as delegates in this movement. The Women’s rights movement was the outcome of abolition, that most people supported. The social movement was overall successful for women because of the organizational skills that were adopted from the movement to abolish slavery. In the fight to give slaves their freedom, women found their own voice in the public. The state of women’s rights still needed to be discussed in

(Hannam 296) During the Anti-Slavery Movement, she had valuable experience in public speaking and running poilitical organizations through her work in the abolishionist movement. (298 ) in the process women were generally discouraged from taking active part in public life and expected to join women only groups in support of male organizations (ibid) While Elizabeth Cady Stanton is best known for her long contribution to the woman suffrage struggle, without her struggles these issues wouldnt have been effective in winning property rights for married women, equal guardianship of children, and liberalized divorce laws. These reforms made it possible for women to leave marriages that were abusive of the wife, the children, and the economic health of the family.

Lucy Stone. The Abolitionist movement is a group who wants to end slavery. Many women’s

A 19th-century suffragist, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, who was born on November 12, 1815, became involved in the abolitionist movements and many women’s rights movements. She helped organize the world’s first women’s rights convention in 1848 which is one of her major achievements. She also made the National Women’s Loyal League with Susan B. Anthony in 1863, and became Anthony’s close friend. They later established the National Woman Suffrage Association together. With her knowledge and determination to bring women rights, Elizabeth Cady Stanton became a known voice for women rights. Her efforts helped start a massive movement for women’s rights and equality. It is still going today. (History).

Mott was raised in a Quaker community just like Anthony was. She helped form the Philadelphia Female Anti-Slavery Society and was the president of the society. Mott boycotted all products of slave labor. When she went to attend the World Anti-Slavery convention in London, she was denied a seat because of her gender. When she was denied a seat, she stood outside of the hall where the convention was being held and preached her doctrine of female equality. When she spent a lot of time in London, she met Elizabeth Cady Stanton, who also believed in fighting for women’s rights. The two became good friends almost instantly. Mott was officially known as a feminist when she argued for equal pay and voting rights. In the summer of 1848, both Stanton and Mott organized a meeting at Seneca Falls, New York where the American Women’s Right Movement was launched. Shortly after, Mott was elected president in 1852. In 1864, she contributed in the establishment of Swarthmore College. As she got older, she served as the head of the American Equal Rights Association. Mott worked hard for everything she did just as Stanton and Anthony had

The origin of women’s liberation began in the 18th century with the World‘s Anti-Slavery Convention of 1840 where delegates Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott were attending with ones husbands in London (McMillen, 2008). The credential committee ruled that women were unfit for public and business meetings (McMillen, 2008). The ladies were moved to a segregated area which

Throughout the nineteenth century, the role of women began to change. Slowly the role of women went from strict domestic work, to having their own say in their own reform groups. After the American Revolution, women began to have a say in what went on during their everyday lives or the lives of their children and husbands. A woman having her own say was something new for men to have to deal with, but they were willing to listen. Women do not get the right to vote nationally until the 1920s, but the start of their suffrage and political movement begins in the nineteenth century with the changing times of the Industrial Revolution and life after the American Revolution.

I am a man, or maybe I'm a male, no wait I am a guy, although my parents still call me a boy, unless you ask an old person then I am a young man. Frankly, I don't know, understand, or care what I am because most importantly I'm me. My generation has numerous problems and some of the most pressing issues involve sex and gender. It appears we have some confusion on who's what and why, and I can see why this confusion exists we have some males wearing women's apparel and some females who are only females because of their lack of a penis.

Women in time became more powerful and started to declare their independence from the current mindset of American men that tried to degrade women. Men always thought they were superior to women, but they never could have imagined that women would stand up demanding the same fairness as men throughout the entire United States. Women were not even able to vote or even make any decisions in life in the recent past. Men had all the power to make not only his own decisions but also make his wife’s’ decisions. During World War 1 when the men were fighting over seas the women took it upon themselves to go work in the factories to prove how much independence they really had. At that time women started to realize how great life could be making decisions and having dignity. After that period of time women started forcing America to change for the better and women started gaining extensive amounts of respect. Over time women started wanting equal rights throughout the United States so in time women started gaining rights including voting, working, and even having the right