Married Women's Legal Status In Eighteenth-Century

Women’s right has been a problem throughout the nineteen century. Women generally have had fewer legal rights and career opportunities than men. Wifehood and motherhood were women's most significant professions, in the 19th century; however, women won the right to vote and increased their educational and job opportunities. Women were long considered naturally weaker than men. Prior to the American Revolution the women were viewed as weak and unable to perform hard work. Also, women place were the house, take care their children, clean the house, organized the house, cook, and take care animals. During the American Revolution many women faced a lot problems because they

she had in choosing her future husband. But even the children of the poor were expected to

Throughout much of America’s history, women have been considered less than men and have not been granted equal rights. In this time period, “women could not vote or hold office in any state, they had no access to higher education, and they were excluded from professional occupations” (“Women’s Rights”). For a long period of time, the reason that women could not vote was because of the “assumption that married

     Through reconstruction women began to receive rights they truly deserved. Conventions broadened women’s rights in property holding and divorce (Norton 309). The women would end up keeping land through a divorce. The goal was not to make men and women equal though, it was to free the debtor, usually the male, from obligations. On the other hand discrimination was still prominent as shown in 1872 when Myra Bradwell, a female attorney, had been denied the right to practice law on account of her gender (Norton 315). Verbally shot down by the judge, he said, Man is, or should be, women’s protector and defender. The natural and proper timidity and delicacy, which belongs to the female sex, is evidently unfit for many of the occupations of life (Binder 81). This phrase properly shows how much further women had a lot farther to go to reach equality in the legal system.

The gender roles in America have changed tremendously since the end of the American Civil War. Women and men, who once lived in separate spheres are now both contributing to American society. Women have gone from the housewife so playing key roles in the country's development in all areas. Though our society widely accepts women and the idea that our society is gender neutral, the issues that women once faced in the late 1860s are still here.

During the 18th century, women were treated like slaves. They had little authority regarding anything. Women didn’t have the right to vote or the right to own property. Only a spinster or widow woman could own and manage property until they married. Women were owned by the husband just as he owned material possessions. Many women were trapped in loveless marriages and those without families were seen as outcasts. The husband was legally entitled to beat his wife for disobedience. Divorces were rarely granted and women usually ran away from bad marriages. As you read, I will talk about

Sentimentalism in marriage changed the idea of the marriage between man and woman from one that was traditional and gave men the ownership of a woman to a more loving, compassionate marriage. Around this time, Republican Motherhood, the idea that women were responsible for bettering the future of society through raising children, became popular. During the Second Great Awakening in 1820, women began to hold more authoritative roles. Through religious roles in the Second Great Awakening, women found opportunities in church-sponsored academies. The right of education became more and more popular as women stepped into society and out of the home. Women activism proved successful after the Civil War. In 1920, the 18th amendment, suffrage for women, was brought into society. With suffrage, women would continue to lead themselves into an empowerment many had never seen before. From the 1700s to modern day society, women have held more of an equal role in society with the rights of suffrage, education, and reproductive rights given to them through Roe V. Wade in 1973, which aided women in their transition into the professional world. Although women hold a more equal stance than in 1700, there is still a subtle, more “invisible” subordination present, negatively effecting women in America.

Although many women had moral obligations and duties in the home and families, church and community, they had very few political and legal rights in early american culture. From the dawn of american civilization into the present women's rights and economic positions as well has changed in many ways. Including these aremany turning points in which women have changed society today. Throught american history women were turned their back on and were considered unequals to mean, women didnt have the power for many things. For examples the point of bringing a suit, to make contracts, or own property, and vote. During the 1800's a women were seen as merely an way of enhancing and evolving the social status of her husband. During 1830s and the

Throughout time women and their rights have varied among where they are living and the people that surround them. Some of the major changes with women’s rights is giving them the right to vote, reproductive rights, and the right to work for equal pay. Another thing that varies throughout time is women’s roles. For example 100 years ago the only jobs that women could have was to either be a housewife, nurse, or a teacher. Until about 1910, women didn’t really fight for their rights and what they could do. In 1910, women started to voice their opinions in society and fought for the right to vote. Though things have changed greatly today, there are still women in the world that believe in the “traditional way” and prefer to still wait on

Women’s rights did not officially begin to be a problem until 1848. Many believe that it’s been a problem from at most the 1600’s. Colonial women didn’t give a thought about their rights, but there were some female political leaders. Margaret Brent, a woman who had been given power-of-attorney from Lord Baltimore. Judith Sargent Stevens Murray, the writer of the United States’ first feminist theory. “Will it be said that the judgment of a male of two years old is more sage than that of a female the same age? I believe the reverse is generally observed to be true. But from that period what partiality! How is the one exalted and the other depressed…. The one is taught to aspire, and the other is early confined and limited.”

According to the article “Rights for woman”, in the 1800 women were treated as subsequent class citizens, and they did not have many rights at all. They were not able to vote and were not encouraged to get an education, or even get a job that they enjoyed (Rights for Women, Par. 1). Women were expected to clean, cook, and find a husband. According to Juliet Levy, Marriage is an agreement that over all comes with substantial financial upbringing. (Levy, 427) As previously stated woman were worth less than men during that time, so the men were basically able to treat them however they wanted. Men were able to send their wives to insane asylums if they did not follow the rules or live up to the expectations of women of that time. According to an article on woman

As long as mankind, women have usually always come second to men. Since ancient times, a woman’s status in Egypt usually always depended on the father or husband, but they had the right to own property and could attend court. During the Salem Witch Trials and Hunts, sexism was a huge part that ignited the trials between the 15th and 18th centuries. Also, until the 20th century, the English law stated "by marriage, the husband and wife are one person in law; that is the very being or legal existence of the woman is suspended during the marriage" (Blackstone, 2008). By this, it meant, legally, women were not defined as a “person”. To this day, sexism is still a major problem, not just in the US, but all around the world. Some of the sexism that still goes on in today’s society all around the world include gender stereotypes, gender targeting of advertisements, catcalling, sexual harassment/violence, domestic violence, rape, health rights, and the infamous wage gaps.

In the mid to late 1700's, the women of the United States of America had practically no rights. When they were married, the men represented the family, and the woman could not do anything without consulting the men. Women were expected to be housewives, to raise their children, and thinking of a job in a factory was a dream that was never thought impossible. But, as years passed, women such as Susan B. Anthony, Lucretia Mott, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Lucy Stone, and Elizabeth Blackwell began to question why they were at home all day raising the children, and why they did not have jobs like the men. This happened between the years of 1776 and 1876, when the lives and status of Northern middle-class woman was changed forever. Women began to

Society has long since considered women the lessor gender and one of the most highly debated topics in society through the years has been that of women’s equality. The debates began over the meaning between a man and woman’s morality and a woman’s rights and obligations in society. After the 19th Amendment was sanctioned around 1920, the ball started rolling on women’s suffrage. Modern times have brought about the union of these causes, but due to the differences between the genetic makeup and socio demographics, the battle over women’s equality issue still continues to exist. While men have always held the covenant role of the dominant sex, it was only since the end of the 19th century that the movement for women’s equality and the

The late 18th century can be known as the historical period of the Enlightenment. During this time, society was undergoing drastic changes that would impact people even today. These changes were known as “reforms,” and played a big role in politics and ruling during this time period. One of the bigger reforms of this time was that which would grant women a higher education and place them in a position closer to their male counterparts. The enlightenment authors, Jean Jacques Rousseau and Mary Wollstonecraft, took part in a debate in which they argued about the purpose and education of women. In an article recently written in The New York Times by Nicholas