How To Write A Letter To Women's Rights Dbq Essay

Throughout American history, women have requested and demanded to achieve recognition for having the same legitimacy as men. Naturally born rights, such as access to equal education, and the right to speak out in public were denied to females. Perhaps, the most powerful right they were denied was the right to vote. Though women were considered inferior and given limited roles in society, Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Carry Nation played a crucial role in the movement for women’s rights. Women did not achieve this right immediately, but that did not stop them from fighting.

Women: Facing Inequality In “Letters between John and Abigail Adams”, by John and Abigail Adams, Abigail begins by addressing to her husband her concerns regarding women being underestimated. She tells John, “Why then, not put it out of the power of the vicious and the Lawless to use us with cruelty and indignity with impunity” (Abigail 12). In this quote, it is a continuation of her many concerns for John to understand women are more capable of doing things than what the men have in mind. She feels that the women deserve to be equal to the men and they deserve more rights than what they had then. Abigail then begins to tell John, “Men of Sense in all Ages abhor those customs which treat us only as the vassals of your Sex” (12).

The author in this article uses a lot of ethos when talking about Abigail Adams. In the text the author states, “By passing this money on to Abigail 's grandsons, Louisa may have indicated disapproval of her mother-in law 's decision to exclude all male descendants” (Holton 34). This is talking about how Abigail’s daughter-in-law passed down money in her will to her sons instead of all to women. Abigail though would approve of this because Louisa is using her power that she now has to do as she wishes with her stuff. This is ethos because she is doing what she believes is morally good in her opinion.

The Fight for Women’s Independence When thinking about the Revolutionary War, we think about the American colonist fighting against British rule for America’s freedom. In Carol Berkin’s book, Revolutionary Mothers: Women in the struggle for America’s Indepe6ndence, we are shown through women’s eyes how the war affects them, and not just the army’s that fought in the war. The war saw changes in women that were different than their style of life had been, although not always recognized by the men who fought the war. Berkin argues that women were still treated the same as before the war, no matter the struggle for independence for their nation and themselves. I agree with Carol Berkin, because women did what they could at home or in the front

In addition to using examples of the Constitution, she used quotes from political figures and the Declaration of Independence, which discuss human rights, but then questions why women would not be included. Her intention behind this speech was to prove that there is an injustice in not allowing women to vote and arresting them for voting. Susan B. Anthony executes this speech using logical, emotional, and ethical appeals towards the audience. Not only was this speech’s purpose to inspire women to make a difference, but also to encourage men to do so as well, since they legally could. Within the first paragraph of her speech, she states “I not only committed no crime, but, instead, simply exercised my citizen's

The Ladies Association illustrated how the Revolution was propelling women into new forms of public activism. Women also participated in political decisions unleashed by independence. Abigail Adams promoted revolutionary cause in poems and drams and later published a history of struggle for independence(Foner 232). The winning of independence didn't change the family law inherited from Britain. Although the republican motherhood’s intentions were to make women and men equal they still had their limits.

A Vindication of the Rights of Woman is Mary Wollstonecraft’s response to educational theorists during the 18th century who did not believe women should receive an education. In it, she argues that women deserve to have an education that corresponds with their position in society; women are essential to the nation because they educate its children as well as “companions” to their husbands. Wollstonecraft goes on to say that women are not arm candy, or property to be traded; we are human beings who deserve the same treatment as men. Wollstonecraft was ahead of her time, yet, she cannot be classified as a modern day feminist since the definition of feminism varies and the terms “feminist” and “feminism” were not coined until the 1890s (Feminist and Feminism). There was also no women’s rights movement during his lifetime.

Women have fought strenuously and diligently to earn their suffrage and have an impact on their society as a whole. Women have yearned to have their voices heard and be able to speak up about their societal concerns specifically in politics. Fortunately, women were able to persist and strive for their ultimate goal: the right to vote, which was stated in the 19th amendment and ratified by three-fourths of the states on August 18, 1920. For women to have reached their goal, they had to go through many propagandas, campaigns, strikes, posters, and protests; however, some were not as persuasive as others. For instance, the poster shown in the document does not provide an empowering message to coax a person to allow women suffrage.

The questioning of social norms can be seen in the passage in which Gwendolen asks Jack to marry her. It was also Jack’s intention, but her forward and brave attitude comes across as modern, and even nowadays it is not the usual move for a woman to ask a man to marry her. In this way, Wilde is breaking the rules. Another example would be when Gwendolen and Cecily overcome their rivalry when they realise they both have been fooled by the two male characters. This kind of sisterhood could be seen as positive when it comes to gender roles, as many times women were represented as people that would pit against each other.

They strived to gain the rights to vote, to stop being viewed as weak and inferior in the eyes of man, and equal representation. Advocates such as these women only paved the way for future activists such as Rosa Parks. Within the fight for equality, male advocates such as Frederick Douglass joined the fight to ensure equality for blacks and women. The female voice is no longer marginalized to the extremities as it was in the 1800’s. However, there are still hardships women face every day.

He replied to her plea in a letter of his own claiming “…, We know better than to repeal our Masculine systems” (Adams 57). Despite the support John Adams had of women gaining independence, he knew that other men were not. Over seventy years later, while petitioning for the rights of women, Susan B. Anthony frequently addressed the opposing side of the debate against the women’s suffrage movement. In her noteworthy speech given in New York about the bias of rejecting women’s suffrage, she identified the notable argument which was the cornerstone of the anti-women side of the debate. Anthony counseled, “It is urged that the use of the masculine pronouns he, his and him in all the constitutions and laws, is proof that only men we meant to be included in their provisions” (Anthony 281).