Women's Status in Mid-19th Century

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

The way European women were treated in the nineteenth century is very different than the way women are treated in the twentieth century today. Women in the nineteenth century were thought more of as objects or something to look at instead of people. Men were always superior to women. It is not the same in the United States during twentieth century as it was in Europe during the nineteenth century. Race and sexuality plays a huge role in the superiority of genders. By the end of the nineteenth century there were multiple challenges toward sending gender norms.

I have to let the readers know how I stumbled upon this topic to introduce where I get my ideas from. It all started in the archive located on the second floor of the library in a dark corner behind a clear glass doors at the Hunter College. I have been attending Hunter College for four years and never have I stumbled on such an amazing place full of live history. I say live history because all the documents and books that are held in the archive are all preserved originals, which fascinated me. Thinking how people who lived more than century ago wrote and read the same things I’m writing and reading about excited me to my very soul. Archive research though fascinating is not an easy task that can be done in within fifteen minutes like how researches are done these days using convenient technologies at hand.

Queen Victoria 's reign saw a great change in industrialisation alongside social change which affected a variety of people and classes.

In the last decades of the nineteenth century, United Stated encountered an urban migration; it was something different and never experienced before. As factories began to open up across the Midwestern and Northern countryside, cities grew up around them. A whole new world was introduced, bringing a mixture of both positive and negative effects into the American society. While the new elite, big businesses, and the American economy in general, enjoyed the benefits of industrialization, many Americans were not so fortunate. Immigrants and former soldiers moved to the cities in search of jobs, money, and new opportunities. This created scarcity in employment and other resources. Cities grew and developed quickly, which caused women to work outside of their homes and farmers felt the difference in urban living. United State was changing because of industrialization. For example, the roles for women had changed greatly in the society because of industrialization. Women who once were caring mothers and housewives became a part of the working class. They didn’t have the time to stay home during the day and take care of their husband and making sure that their children acted properly and were respectful with high moral values. On the other hand, wealthy women considered to be lucky if they were able to stay at home and devote themselves totally to their families. Another example, farmers who were dependent on their skill in farming and the land grew their crops. However, throughout

Women began standing up for themselves using literature in the nineteenth century. The time periods of the feminism booms were called waves. There are three waves of feminism starting from the nineteenth century to now. They all occurred in the United Kingdom, Britain, France, and the United States. These waves lead to women getting closer to being treated equal to men.

In the 1800s in Britain there were gender roles issues between female and males. Today in Britain it has changed.

Today citizens of the United States all have the essential rights to vote in a democracy, regardless of their skin color or gender. This, however, was not the case many years ago prior to 1920. In fact, women or people of color were not allowed the right to vote. Nevertheless, over time the roles of women began to change and with changing roles, women began to be more aware of their rights, thus began to fight for equality. Without the beginning of woman’s suffrage and early women reforms done in the early 19th century, the right of women to vote could have never been successful; changing roles of women from the beginning of the colonization age lead up to the idea of woman’s suffrage.

From the early beginnings of civilization to the 19th century, women were viewed as breeding objects to their husbands, and they were caretakers of the house who were responsible for the cooking and cleaning in the residence. They were also accountable for taking care of children, making dinner for her husband, and throwing lavish parties that others envied. When the American Revolution began in 1765, women 's roles began to change drastically. Men had to fight against the British, so women left the safety and security of their traditional roles to serve their country, and perform their usual duties. During the Revolution, women were given roles in the military as “camp followers”, snuck into the army disguised as a man, and some women

The Nineteenth century was an age of change for America. With various reforms taking place, industrialization overrunning the North, expansion of our country westward, and warfare soon to erupt in the Civil War; America was a fast changing country and economy. Feminism, racism, commercialism, militarism were all terms that would define this day of age. With the North quickly becoming of “Modern Culture,” and the South soon forming “Folk Culture,” many reformers began to take their place for change. Slavery and abolitionism were by far the most known reform from this century, however, this reform may not have been as popular as claimed. Words from a British visitor would describe the most

At the onset of 19th Century, a shift of the American economy from one based in agrarianism to industry, fostered the underpinnings of the idea that “worker’s rights are human rights.” With an increased emphasis on the manufacturing and production of goods, the worker-- a largely irrelevant figure prior to this “shift,” gained not only increased relevance in the economy, but also an increased social agency, allowing them to address their needs as a human being. Furthermore, an individual’s experience as a worker (and consequently as a “human being”), was tied to their social location-- meaning their socioeconomic status, gender, and after the Civil War, their race. Therefore, we find that in struggles for civil rights and movements to improve people’s livelihoods, This paper will argue that through three periods in

Gender roles were sharply defined in the 19th century. Women were expected to stay at home and carry out the domestic duties as well as taking care of the children and educate them and provide a peaceful home for their husband. Women were seen as loving and caring. On the other hand, men were expected to work and earn money for the family. They would fight wars and were seen as strong and powerful. Men had more freedom and rights, such as the right to vote, than women in the 19th century. Society had created two completely separate spheres. In the medical field, men were doctors. There were laws in many states, such as, that prohibited women from becoming doctors. Women, who decided to practice medicine in the 19th century had to struggle with much opposition because it went against prevailing ideas about women’s role in society. Women belonged in the private and domestic sphere. Men belonged to competitive and immoral public sphere of industry and commerce. The women in medicine would face accusations that they were abandoning their sphere and threatening society. Due to these arguments and the fear of economic competition from female practitioner, male medical schools and hospitals denied women access to institutions. However, Elizabeth Blackwell, changed this idea of separate spheres when she decided to take on the medical field and become a doctor. Although Elizabeth Black had a natural aversion to the medical field, her

Since the beginning of time women have struggled to prove themselves to society so that people understand they are just as good as men. However, society has made a mockery of women for years. Using women for sex appeal and for personal gains. Women were those who stayed home cleaning, took care of the children, and prepared meals for the family. This sounds quite familiar with today’s society, but women today aren’t only limited to these things. Not only were women not allowed to work outside of home, but voting was off limits also. On June 4, 1919 the 19th amendment was passed by Congress. This honored all American women the right to vote. This Amendment was approved on August 18th 1920. On account of women suffrage, women should be granted equal rights politically and economically, especially after the hardship they faced. Because of their contributions to society, women exclusively should be allowed to help the country grow at an economical standpoint and politically while having the privilege of voting.

The overall gender inequality today was not as bad as it was during the 1888, but it still persists in everyday life. Women are still getting paid less, 77 cents for every dollar a man earns. This is a gap that has consequences for women. In the 1800s, women didn't have the right to vote, in some places, didn't have the right to wear clothes that resembled that of men's, there was a huge gender gap. The problems that were present back then are nowhere near as the same as today's inequality. But, what is the same is the reason why women still fight for their equality. They fight for it because they are able to and have the right to do so. And this doesn't stand true for women, it stands for men and people of color. Men's suicide rates are higher

Since the beginning of time, women have been considered the weaker sex. During the nineteenth century, women were considered illogical and vulnerable. Women could not partake in employment opportunities and they could not vote. Men believed that women were the mentally and physically insuperior gender, therefore women were not considered equal to men. In opposition to this exhausted belief, women are now seen as strong and influential individuals. In modern time, females have the rights of voting, attaining jobs, and living the same traditional lives that the majority of males have always pursued. In the short story “The Birthmark” by Nathaniel Hawthorne, one can see how Georgiana can be considered a submissive, passive, and dependent wife to Aylmer. Georgiana was the epitome of an average nineteenth century woman and followed the rules that society had laid for all matrons. Additionally, Georgiana was a dedicated wife who yearned to please her husband. Aylmer was the dominant and outspoken figure in their household whilst Georgiana was the meek and accommodating shadow. Therefore, according to nineteenth century standards, Georgiana succeeds as a wife to Aylmer.