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The Strides Of Feminism In The 1800's, 1900

Decent Essays

Kirsten Roche
WST 301
February 23rd 2017

The Strides of Feminism
Feminism in the 1700’s, 1800’s, 1900’s and continues to be a highly discussed topic for all genders and races. A popular and important quote comes from Freedman(2002) “Feminism is a belief that women and men are inherently of equal worth. Because most societies privilege men as a group, social movements are necessary to achieve equality between women and men, with the understanding that gender always intersects with other social hierarchies (pg 7).” W.E.B DuBois argues for equal rights for all humans in his writing “The Damnation of Women”. While Anna Julia Cooper wants people to recognize male privilege in her late 19th century writing, “The Status of Women in America”. Mary …show more content…

In W.E.B DuBois(1919), “The Damnation of Women,” he believes that for society to progress, black women need, and deserve to have equal rights. From DuBois’ passage, “The world that wills to worship womankind studiously forgets its darker sisters(1919 pg 205)” comes the argument that all women are equal to men, not just white women. This paper also argues that Sojourner Truth would agree with Dubois despite speaking out in a different time period. Truth’s speech “Ain’t I a Woman?” in the late 1800’s rattled society, as she traveled around and spoke to government officials about black women's rights(1851 pg 75). In her passionate speech she talks about the discrimination she faces for being black, on top of the discrimination she faces for being a women. Truth says, “That man over there says that women need to be helped into carriages, and lifted over ditches, and to have the best place everywhere. Nobody ever helps me into carriages, or over mud puddles, or gives me any best place! And ain’t I a woman?(1851 pg 75),” calling out the obvious racism and inequality going on during this time. Truth argues that black women work just as hard as the men, enduring the same grueling work and punishments, and they should have the same rights as the men. She also brings us that Christ was born by a woman, a feat no man can ever compare(1851 pg 75). I believe …show more content…

Astell wanted women to see that they “...were as rational as men, capable of scientific as well as religious thought…(1694 pg 20),” all while still adhering to societal laws, emphasizing on the face that men were still the head of the house and still had authority. One could argue that Astell and Dubois would agree on the belief that men and women were created equal in God’s image. Astell writes, “For since GOD has given Women as well as Men intelligent Souls, why should they be forbidden to improve them?(1694 pg 22),” in an argument to show that both men and women have the same essence, a soul, and both should be allowed to be educated equally in religious matters. I would also argue that Astell would disagree with Sanger and the use of birth control. Due to the time period and the heavily religious influence, I would that that Astell would think that birth control may be going too far, and could start threatening men’s authority. An issue with Astell’s writing is that while it believes in women’s progression intellectually, it does not say anything about suffrage or African American

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