The New York Herald
The New York Herald was a news agency in the 1840’s that published daily newspapers
and articles nationwide. Their agency can be compared to the New York Times today. On
September 12, 1852 they published an article called “ The Women’s Right Convention”.
The content of this article plainly shows how women in the 1850’s were denied the rights
and their freedom of gender equality. The writer apparently degrades the women and
abolition movements whose mentality was freedom and equality for all human. The
writer’s choice of words was basically sexist and racist. He started off by degrading the
entire women’s right movement by asking questions that will irritate and underrate every
woman “ Who are these women? What do they want, What impels them…” The writer
believes women should not be given a voice in society because they are and will always
be inferior to the white man.
The writer’s name is not stated in the article but looking at the voice and actions it cannot
be disputed that the writer is a white male who presumably lived in the south. The writer
did not only have problems with women’s right movement but also African American’s
who demanded equality and freedom from slavery. He describes the actions of the
abolitionist and women right movements trying to gain these rights as pathetic. “ By her
nature, her sex just as the negro is and will always be, to the end of time inferior to the
white race” The writer have very strong views about race, gender and equality in general.
It is sad and ignorant for someone to say something like this about a particular race or
gender because all these people in contention here are human beings. The writer’s idea on
in this article demonstrates the oppressive mentality people in the 1800’s suffered. The
New York Herald article shows how hard life was for some people in the 1850’s. It is
quiet disturbing to live peacefully in a society where there is a notion that you are inferior
to someone else.
The rampant ideas of sexism and racism in the 19th century was encouraged because the
media did not see anything wrong with been sexist or racist. As time when by through
abolitionist’s things have changed today in America. It will be difficult to pick up an
article today with so much racism and sexism. That is how much America has developed.