"Sexism and Feminism in the Late 1800's" in accordance with "The White Heron" by Sarah Orne Jewett and "The Yellow Wallpaper" by Charlotte Perkins-Gilman

Women in the nineteenth century lived in a time characterized by gender inequality. At the beginning of the century, women could not vote, could not be sued, were extremely limited over personal property after marriage, and were expected to remain obedient to their husbands and fathers.( women’s suffrage movement 1) In most situations, the men would have to go to work and bring home the money, and the women would have no choice but to stay home, clean the

In the year 1848 America held the first gathering dedicated to women’s rights; after decades of fighting for women’s equality, the 1920’s national election was the first for women to cast their presidential vote. The feminist movement, as a unisex advocacy, has had some successes other than voting rights, such as discrimination related to equal pay, having credit cards in their own names, terminating pregnancy, purchasing contraception or “the pill”, attending prestigious schools, becoming an astronaut or supreme court justice, and many more that have now been fixed due to this movement. So the question remains: do we still need feminism? After all, there have been many successes and several women claim they “don’t need feminism anymore”; however,

Generations of women fought courageously for equality for decades. The ratification of the Nineteenth amendment was vindication for so many women across the country. After having spent so many years oppressed and unable to make way for themselves, women everywhere were growing tired of being unable to own property, keep their wages and the independence that an academic education gave them. The decades that ensued brought with them various female activists, men that supported them and a division of its own within the movement. The women’s suffrage movement lasted 71 years and cam with great discourse to the lives of many women who fought for the cause.

From the 1880’s to the 1920’s, the Progressive Era was a period in American history where women’s suffrage gained the most momentum. Due to justified Progressive Era reforms and the creation of various organizations during this time, women were able to successfully protect people who were, for example, immigrants, poor, and African Americans belittled by the norms of society. With the full participation of American women, they exercised their full rights as citizens to create public institutions and shape public policy. Redefining the social structure, these middle-class women received support from other women which essentially led to changes of the rights of and treatment of American women in society. Thwarted by a male-dominated society, pleas for better treatment and equal rights made by women in the forms of protests, conventions, parades, and speeches, were often seen as foolish and meaningless. However, women’s unrelenting efforts combined with the atmosphere of reform resulted in positive outcomes such as the right to vote, the creation of new educational opportunities, and the introduction of better working conditions for women, which drastically impacted the way women apply themselves in society today.

I chose this topic because the feminist agenda in the United States today is often ignored because it is mistaken for misandry. I have heard countless men ( and sadly, women) say that they are not “feminists” which completely undermines the countless decades of people fighting for women to merely have the right to vote. Without the work of women like Susan B.Anthony and Cady Elizabeth Stanton,and Jane Addams, women today would still have to turn over their wages to the man of the house, they couldn’t work long term, and they most certainly could not work while their husbands stay home with the kids. I hope that this essay furthers my appreciation and educates me on the progress of women’s rights in the United States.

Throughout history, it is seen that women were always treated like they were less than a male. While a great amount of women hid and did what they were told, some women fought for their rights and took a stand. For some women, this included getting a medical degree, or doing public speaking. During the 1800’s, there were multiple women that fought for women's rights by sticking up for themselves and not letting people down grade them for being female.

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

Along with their right to vote came a change in the social status of women as a whole. They were no longer viewed as inferior individuals to men, but as strong citizens of the United States who could equally contribute to the political system. Nevertheless, women began changing their “natural roles” years before the Nineteenth Amendment was even ratified. They left the domestic housewife label and took on different jobs such as factory and office work. The support of women reformers urged them to move forward and aim for a change. Because of the women reformers in the Progressive Era, modern day women are benefitting from their hard work and persistence. Women are still able to vote and express their political opinions. Female votes matter just as much as those of the men. Furthermore, women are not confined to being housewives. They can take on any job that a man can and also care for those in their home. In fact, many women are the main supporters of their households now. With that being said, women reformers paved the way for all women that followed after them. If women reformers could see a glimpse of how far women have come since their time, they would be highly pleased to see the fruits of their

Starting in the nineteenth century women’s rights was a very hushed subject, it wasn’t really talked about because everyone thought of women as being the homemakers, taking care of the family and making meals while the men went out and worked. During

Starting in the nineteenth century women’s rights was a very hushed subject, it wasn’t really talked about because everyone thought of women as being the homemakers, taking care of the family and making meals while the men went out and worked. During

America is the land of opportunity. It is a place of rebirth, hope, and freedom. However, it was not always like that for women. Many times in history women were oppressed, belittled, and deprived of the opportunity to learn and work in their desired profession. Instead, their life was confined to the home and family. While this was a noble role, many females felt that they were being restricted and therefore desired more independence. In America, women started to break the mold in 1848 and continued to push for social, political, educational, and career freedom. By the 1920s, women had experienced significant “liberation”, as they were then allowed to vote, hold public office, gain a higher education, obtain new jobs, drastically change

The author provides a very informative and comprehensive analysis of The Feminist Movement in the United States. The author of this source splits his detailed research and opinions into six chapters ranging in important topics. Some of the topics are the origins of The Feminist Movement, ideologies of the movement, and oppositions to the movement. While this source is not current, the source was written by a qualified author. The author, Steven Buechler, is an associate professor of sociology at Mankato State University who studies historical social movements. Buechler has also published several sociological analyses of historical social movements. This source provides useful information as it discusses in great detail the social impacts of

Although the feminist movement has roots back to Ancient Greece, it more accurately began to rise in the early to mid 1800s (Dorey-Stein, 2015). In the beginning, women simply desired to have a more impactful role in the political realm of society, and gain rudimentary civil rights (Ushistory.org, 2016). Early into their civil rights journey, the National Woman Suffrage Association posed the excellent question, “Why should women, more than men, be governed without their own consent?”(Stanton, 1969, p. 1). The answer to this question was clear: women merely wished to have at least half the opportunities men did. At its core, the suffrage movement was described as an extremely impactful social movement, and at the height of the movement, it took advantage of the efforts of millions of people, while representing the basic principles this country was founded on (Scott, 1975). Overall, the basic idea that women deserved the same rights and respect as men will always be in accordance with the Bible, the only deciding factor is the way in which women chose and continue to choose how to gain equality. Ultimately, all 19th and early 20th century women were striving for were equal contract and property rights (Dorey-Stein, 2015). Because of this, the current agenda of third wave feminism does not even come close to connecting to a majority of the

Throughout history women have struggled to show their value juxtaposed to men. Women are often downgraded economically, politically and socially just because they are female’s. The struggle between women in the 1800s is similar to the struggle women have now. Equal rights for women are still being campaigned now as much as it was during the 1800s. The connotation of feminism has been created to be a negative word .Just like people believe women should be equal to men, many others believe otherwise.

In the 1800’s a women was suppose to have four things Piety, Purity, submissiveness, and domesticity. These principles shaped the “Cult of True Womanhood” an idea that women were to be seen but not heard. Women had no say when it came to politics, they couldn’t own property, they were not allowed to do many jobs, and they couldn’t even speak in front of men. They had the duty to be a mother and raise their children but even thought they had this responsibility it was the husband who had the complete control and guardianship of the children. Because of these ideas it was very difficult for change to happen. When women started to receive more education they began to ask questions about why they were being denied these rights, which began the