Anna Frye
Hayes
AP World History 3A
2/13/2023
Mary Wollstonecraft
Women equality has always been an issue even since early history. An early advocate
for women’s equality was Mary Wollstonecraft. Mary Wollstonecraft wasn’t just an advocate of
women’s rights but also a British writer and philosopher. She was born on April 27, 1759, in
London and died September 10, 1797, in London from Septicemia. Mary Wollstonecraft was
best known for her work, ‘A Vindication of the Rights of Women’ one of the earliest works of
feminist philosophy. This was one of the first texts by a female author that presented women’s
education as an issue of universal human rights.
Mary Wollstonecraft lived in the time period from 1759-1797. During this time period
the little rights of women that were given was becoming an issue. Single women had little
protection under the law. While married women lost their legal identity. Women couldn’t
retain a lawyer, sign a contract, inherit property, vote, or have rights over their children. This
being a time period of protests because of equality issues.
Mary Wollstonecraft was important to history because she pushed society towards
equality whether man or woman. To many people, Mary Wollstonecraft is merely a name to
remember for general certificate of secondary education history when learning about the
Suffrage moment of the late 19th and the early 20th century. The Suffrage moment referring to
the seventy-two-year-long battle for women’s rights to vote in the United States. What Mary
Wollstonecraft did that was important was the publication of ‘A Vindication of the Rights of
Women’ in 1792. As a result of that she importantly started the discussion of gender equality.
Mary Wollstonecraft established the individualist roots of equal rights. These rights
specifically being fought for women. In the long run, women rights were slowly gained after
Mary Wollstonecraft’s influence. Now today, women can retain a lawyer, sign a contract,
inherit property, vote, have rights over their children, etc. These of which women did not have
power over before. So, Mary Wollstonecraft’s actions affected long-term history because it
influenced equality which allowed the women today to have rights.
Mary Wollstonecraft was a very big role in women’s equality. Today Mary
Wollstonecraft is regarded as one of the founding feminist philosophers. Feminists often cite
both her life and her works as important influences. During her brief career, she wrote novels,
treaties, a travel narrative, a history of the French Revolution, a conduct book, and a children’s
book. Her most popular work was ‘A Vindication of the Rights of Women’ one of the earliest
works of feminist philosophy. Mary Wollstonecraft played a huge role in gender equality which
is still appreciated today. Overall, Mary Wollstonecraft was an astonishing historical figure.
Work Cited
Mary Wollstonecraft, Jeannette L. Nolen, Equality | human rights | Britannica
The First Feminist: How Mary Wollstonecraft Changed The World, Ciaran Picker, The First
Feminist: How Mary Wollstonecraft Changed The World | The Bubble
Suffrage Movement, Elizabeth Smiltneek, Suffrage Movement | Learning to Give
Equal Rights for Rights for Women: The Contribution of Mary Wollstonecraft, Jim Powell, Equal
Rights for Rights for Women: The Contribution of Mary Wollstonecraft - Foundation for
Economic Education (fee.org)