The topic of discussion for both novels was the oppression of women and slaves and women of both groups who fought for equality and freedom of both groups. In People’s, chapter six talks about how women were treated inferior to men and were not talked a lot about in history because they were not seen as important enough. Black women had it even worse because they were already treated with little respect because of the color of their skin, but being a woman on top of that made them even more inferior. For most of history, women were subservient to their male counter parts and were told that their place was at home taking care of the family and the household. As time went on and women started branching out into other jobs, they started to want more independence and equality when compared to their male counterparts. Harriet Hanson Robinson talks about this in her work, “Characteristics of the Early Factory Girls,” and how women stood up for themselves and walked out of the mills they were working at when their pay was cut.
Women also started to monopolize the profession of teaching and because of this they were able to educate themselves and expand their thoughts on oppression. Many women who later went to college became activist for feminism and equal rights for all people. Angela E. Grimké in her speech and Pennsylvania Hall talks about not only equality for women, but mainly abolishing slavery and treating the slaves as human beings. Women started speaking out, not only for
In a few cases, however, women began to advance towards equality with men. For example, around the early 1850's, elementary teaching increasingly became a feminine affair. Prior to the Civil War, Kentucky took partial steps to allow women suffrage. In this state, widowed mothers were allowed a limited vote in school elections. As early as the 1840's, modern women's colleges began to replace the older, "female academies" (Donald & Randall 20). For the most part, however, attempts at female advances-which were made in hopes of achieving equal footing with men-were unacceptable. At the World Anti-Slavery Conference in 1840, for example, women were only allowed to listen and observe behind a screen of the gallery in which the conference was held. Women were denied verbal participation because male leaders refused to speak on the same platform as them. To these men, it was a disgrace to speak on the same platform as the "inferior" gender.
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
Encouragement can only get one so far, and without the ability to attend the same colleges men do, Fuller was still left at a disadvantage. It is for these reasons that Fuller pursued the equal rights of women. She experienced firsthand the benefits of education, as well as her inability to further her education in the same way as men.
These women worked on the Southern plantations all day without relief. They not only worked in the fields, but also in the house with their masters. Though people thought slavery was a sin, as Mrs. A did, women could not challenge slavery politically because there was a great lack of decorum in women getting involved with politics, thus African American women continued to work for free (Doc. C). Even though this was a setback, women in the workforce pushed forward and strived to become equal. As women continued to chase their equality in the workforce, they petitioned the Massachusetts legislature to try and equal themselves with men (Doc. I). Although women started off slow, working for low wages, they continued to challenge for their equality in the workforce.
Over the history of time women were not allowed to have prominent roles and rights in society. Through history and time women have fought for the right to vote, to work for equal pay, the women’s suffrage, gaining property rights, and much more. The first women’s right movement in the United States of America, which started in the 1830s, arose from the campaign too end slavery. Many things such as evangelical Christianity, the abolitionist critique to slavery, and debates about the place of women in the abolitionist movement played valuable roles in the development of the antebellum women’s right movement. These efforts and large steps that women took to destroy and tear down the walls that limited them from having a voice still resonates today.
During The American Revolution there was showings of how women's roles were at the time.At the time that the soldiers were at Valley Forge there were women nurses. There was not really a lot of things woman could do back then so the start of nursing was a positive thing for them back then.After the American Revolution women were starting to make a little progress with an impact, starting out with Abigail Adams. Abigail Adams,wife of John Adams,was a speaker,and she explains to him along with the public about the importance of women.After she spoke women all around started to make boycotts. At this point women had few rights,and married women had something called the coventure law.This law stated that women were based on their husbands identity,and when women get married they lose any rights to all her property.
Led by a fair number of women, the Second Great Awakening opened new possibilities for women. The idea that women were subordinate to men was slowly becoming a thing of the pass. Women broke the social norm and began to lead reform movements in order to gain rights. The Grimké sisters regularly spoke to coed audiences about abolitionist efforts in order to gain support and spread the idea of abolition (Pastoral Letter to the Liberator, 1837). However, women didn’t fully receive equal legal status and rights until the mid-nineteenth century. The Seneca Falls Convention ultimately paved the way for women’s rights and the Declaration of Sentiments proposed “women’s equality in everything from education and employment to legal rights and voting”(Hewitt, Lawson
This was frowned upon by most of the community because women were said to be needed at the household where they should stay and take care of the household. As more women colleges opened such as the Holyoke Seminary, a school that opened specifically to educate women. As women became more educated, they tried to gain a voice in the community and among the nation socially and politically. An example of this is Dorothea Dix where she protested and changed many of the prison treatment and also treatment for the mentally ill as stated in Document F. Women would later to go on to where bloomers which symbolizes that they were equal to men in every way. One way that they were gaining a political voice was at the Women's Rights Convention at Seneca Falls, New York in the mid 1800's. Elizabeth Stanton stated the Declaration of Independence which stated, "all men and women were created equally." This convention launched the modern Women's Rights Movement, and made women's voice be heard around the nation. In addition to this women petitioned for multiple women's rights that would be passed. This movement gained women equal rights to men due to the Second Great
To begin with is the content. The authors of both literary works are women who have tried to act as the mirror of the society as they are able to recognize the plights of African women in the hands of the white man. Women compared to men have suffered a lot of racism, prejudice and rejection and nobody seem to come to their rescue (O'Brien, 2001). For example, in Smith's "what it's like to be a black American" portrays a vivid picture of how the young girl seem to be struggling inwardly so as to be accepted wholly from her dressing code to her physical appearance; "First of all, it's being 9 years old and feeling like you're not finished."- A sign of dissatisfaction with the physical look. This is because she feels that she
The book/author both add to the conversations we had in class. For example: how blacks had no freedom, worked for whites and were mistreated. They were not paid well, so many of them were poor. They as well had sharecropping. Including the civil rights movement.
By the 1870s twenty percent of all college students were women, by the 1900s that numbered increased to 1/3. Women that attended college tended to be upper or middle class citizens, they went to college, wanting to expand their knowledge and apply it after graduation. Even with their college experience they had a lot of professional places that still denied them jobs. For example “The American Medical Association”, still denied women until 1915. Being denied access to the profession of their choice women put their skills to work in many movements.
From the beginning of time, women have had to succumb to the authority of men. Women were essentially men’s slaves and had little say in the household and had virtually no voice in politics. They were to be seen and not heard. There were, however, instances of women that were able to call attention to themselves, whether negative or positive. The girls involved in the Salem Witch Trials, for example, were able to draw an awareness to themselves and become a significant heated topic. Sarah Kemble Knight gained a reputation for herself by being knowledgeable in
Many individuals had different point of views than others and wanted to create a change for once and speak out. For instance, Anne Hutchinson didn’t believe Massachusetts had done enough to break with the Anglican Church, therefore she had spoke out and became the first ever women preacher. Giving us the freedom to speak out whether being male or female. Allowing everyone to have a voice not just because of our gender.
Women’s Rights was and still is a major issue throughout the entire world, but more specifically, in the United States of America. Women have been treated unjustly for awhile. From being beaten by their husbands, to not being able to own property if they were married, women have been through it all. Many of these situations started to change because of a group of women that decided to stand up for what they believe in. A few activists that helped improve the rights of women are Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Lucretia Mott.
Since the beginning of the 1800's, women had been fighting for the rights that they wanted. Women should be able to vote, control their own property and income, and they should have access to higher education and professional jobs. Women also had many roles in society. Women had very important parts in jobs as they took up more responsibilities. Girls, young ladies, and women of all ages were working harder to bring home income. Most women thought the pay and the conditions were unfair. These arguments grew as women fought more and more for social equality.