Evolution Of Women's Role In Society

During the years 1825-1850, in the United States, was the age of reform. A time where nationalism and pride grew in the hearts of the American people, that they struggled to bring back the true meaning upon which their country was built. Social, intellectual and religious reform movements in the United States during the years 1825-1850, caused the expansion of democratic ideals through the reformers and reform movements; such as the Women’s Rights Movement, Temperance Movement, Abolitionist Movement, Asylum Reform, Jail Reform, Transcendentalism and the Second Great Awakening, by introducing the idea in the increase of women’s rights, encouraging an abstinence from alcohol, abolishing slavery, improving the treatment of the mentally unstable,

The progressive era which lasted from 1890-1920 in American society was the institution of radical reforms brought about by the millions of Americans involved in volunteer organizations across the country. During this time Americans worked to create solutions to the problems caused by the rapid industrialization and urbanization of the country. The progressive era was not a single movement, but rather a collection of movements all of which were intended to improve the lives of Americans. This was a truly remarkable time for women and the end of the era would see almost universal women’s suffrage with the passing of the nineteenth amendment in 1920.

Throughout history, there has always been a rivalry between the two sexes and in the end the women have always come in second place. Time over time it has been proven difficult for women to hold any type of power that they have wanted except for the tasks that they have been given due to their gender. In society and in their own homes, it has been difficult for women to grow and sustain their power beyond the limits that they have been given. Women have been differentiated from men and have been discriminated with regard to jobs and other types of privileges that they have wanted. Throughout the course of history, they have been denied many freedoms that every man has and they want to be equal to their counterparts. In 1920, the Nineteenth Amendment was ratified in the United States of America and developed the women’s suffrage. Slowly, women are receiving the freedoms of being their own person rather than this stereotypical woman figure that has been long awaited for because they should already be treated equal among men. The key features that women have been viewed as stereotypical is femininity, care, nurture, maternity, and dependent upon men. Society expects women to have the ideal feminine characteristics; however, women do not always generally have those types of traits and can have some just like men.

In Antebellum America, gender roles were an important factor in how society ran socially and politically. A middle to upper class woman in the North would rarely be seen outside her home. Women were to be submissive, fragile and stay inside the bounds of their private sphere, which was the home. Men were to be the breadwinners, masculine, and politically engaged. Gender roles in the South were somewhat different than that of the North, but were still heavily patriarchal. Women had little to no say in anything in their personal lives as well as politically because they did not have the right to vote. However, in the mid 1830’s to 1840’s, different moral reform movements such as temperance, sexual morality and abolition swept the Middle-Atlantic

The Enlightenment was a time during the 17th and 18th century in Europe when the ideas of philosophers about an ideal government and human nature in society were being developed. Although women did not have equal rights as men, women did have the power to influence ideas during the Enlightenment. This is because they took on several roles as leaders, where they had chances and opportunities to act as philosophers and share their new ideas on the society of France.

In the Gilded age or the start of the industrial era, women and children were forced to leave their homes and try and get jobs in factories that were fit for them. This era created many new job opportunities than before. The number of women who now had actual jobs had increased drastically. Even though all these jobs had opened up women were only seen fit to do small tasks such as desk jobs that require little knowledge and skill to be able to do. Women forced into the work force tended to be poorer struggling individuals whose children were bound to labor as well. The parents of these children would send them to work in hope to increase their families incomes. As a result of the new increase of child and women's labor the conditions for working

The discrimination due to their gender outraged them and gave them the idea to start a women’s rights movement in the United States. In Seneca Falls, New York in the summer of 1848, the women’s group began. A dissimilarity is the fact that “In many history textbooks, the entire movement is summed up in one sentence: "In 1920, Congress gave women the right to vote.’" (Cooney), but in reality the movement began in 1848 with the start of Stanton and Mott’s womens group. Lucretia Mott’s women’s rights movement promoted equal economic opportunity and political, including suffrage, rights. They were concerned with the fact that our Constitution declared all men equal, but they believed that it should focus on the equality of all citizens, not just the white male.

Feminism: the advocacy of women 's rights on the basis of the equality of the sexes.

Women play a vital role for the human population. Although women populate the earth with humans, women have little rights. During the 1500s and twentieth century, women had little rights in labor and productivity. Women often resided as housewives; caring for children, cooking and cleaning. Often, females did not receive proper education and forced to work in unsafe and sanitary working conditions, such as sweat factories or field work. In the meantime, as plebeian women worked, rich women did nothing and lived comfortably. On the other hand, men received higher education opportunities and high paying employment. Some women who received higher education were usually directly involved with political affairs but they were still subjected to

Based on Angela Davis’ “Class and Race in the Early Women’s Rights Campaign” reading, Seneca Falls Convention was the first women’s rights convention in the United States. Not only women, but also men were fighting for women’s equality. The convention focused on the political equality for women, the women’s rights in marriage, and the education and career equality for women. Most of the time, women were not allow to join and express their ideas in conventions, for example the 1840 World Anti-Slavery Convention. Only male abolitionists can attended while the female were excluded in the convention. At that time, women were the dependent of men. Married women had to obey their husband, and they did not have any rights for herself which caused many women suffered in inferiority complex. Their inferiority complex also caused them inequality in education and career opportunities which were the conclusion of the Declaration of Sentiments. Women did not have the opportunity to study at school, and they were treated differently with men in work field. The people in the convention were fighting for the women’s rights to relieve the women’s suffering. In this convention, Elizabeth Cady Stanton

The Movement for Women’s rights in the 1920s marked a positive change. For over 70 years since the Seneca Falls Convention in 1848 in New York, women have fought for the right to vote. Their legal right to vote was finally granted with the 19th amendment, which stated, “The right of citizens of the United States to vote

Anthony, Elizabeth Blackwell, and Amelia Bloomer. Elizabeth Cady Stanton was a suffragette who organized the first convention for women's rights in Seneca, New York 1848. The National Woman Suffrage Association fought for women's equality in courts and workplaces, including the right to vote. Susan B. Anthony who was a Quaker, and was a militant lecturer for women's rights. Susan B. Anthony was a brave and strong woman who had the belief that women and men should have the same rights and be equal. She fearlessly fought for her rights even if she exposed herself to vulgar epithets and to rotten garbage. She became a strong advocate that her followers were called “Suzy Bs.” Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell was another pioneer, woman to fight for a change in women's rights. She was the first female graduate of a medical college, even after it was a forbidden career for women. Amelia Bloomer was a leader in the women's suffrage movement. She was a female reformer who promoted short skirts and trousers as a replacement for restrictive women's clothing. She wanted to revolutionize women's clothing through to modified trousers under slightly shorter skirts. The women who were fighting for women's rights all met at Seneca Fall, New York at a convention called the “Seneca Falls Convention.” There they wrote the Declaration of Sentiments, which tried to get women the right to vote. The Declaration Of Sentiments declared that “all men and women are created

Have you ever thought about women 's rights and equality? It’s not as pretty or memorable as you think it is. But just like Shirley Chisholm said “at present, our country need’s womens idealism and determination, perhaps more in politics than anywhere else.” Which is true but back then it certainly wasn’t. Let me take you way back to when women and men were not equal, and when men had more power over women.

A century ago, the United States was a very different place, especially for women. They did not have the same rights as men. For example, they were excluded from inheriting property on the same terms as men, serving on a jury, opening a bank account, applying for a loan, attending Ivy League colleges, and also had a limited voice in their government because they were not allowed to vote. Ironically, the constitution did not explicitly deny women the right to vote, but since they were not allowed to do so many other things, it made sense that voting was restricted as well. Women’s decade-long struggle to earn the right to vote, otherwise known as the Women's Suffrage movement, came to an end with

The 20th century saw a major increase in women’s rights, getting a step nearer to gender equality. It is defined as the act of treating men and women equally, having the same access to right and opportunities no matter the gender. Although it is not a reality in our world, we do have advanced in comparison to the last century. At the begging of the 20th century women still were considered the weak gender. Their education consisted on learning practical skills such as sewing, cooking, and using the new domestic inventions of the era; unfortunately, this “formal training offered women little advantage in the struggle for stable work at a liveable wage” (1). Their role in society was believed to be that of wife and mother but our mind was changing. Women started to fight for some rights such as the access to the labour force during World War I, the improvement in education allowing women to attend university, and the equality within the marriage, in order to avoid subordination of women. Probably their greatest achievement was the access to the electoral process in the United States of America. Earning the right to vote meant a recognition of women power and intelligence, as well as their ability to participate in politics. This essay will analyze how women fought for their right through some feminist movements.