A.P.U.S.H.
WOMEN'S RIGHTS: 1600 TO PRESENT
Mrudula Chitti, Sam Smith,
Jacob Aguilar, and Leslie Gallo
Women, since early times in human history, were considered to be inferior to men. With
their relatively wide hips and small heads, they were automatically presumed to be designed for
childbearing and a lifestyle free of thought: or, in other words, confined to managing the family
in roles as housewives. Life in the 1600s was not did not stray far from these traditions, and
allotted practically all power in its era to its men. The men received the social rights to full
educations, to property, and to vote, and the women were seen as, essentially, second-class
citizens, relying on their husbands or fathers for near everything. Accordingly, the 1600s woman
was provided with only a minimal education, whether this be at home or at an elementary
school; the luckier, upper-class women were sometimes gifted with private tutors, considered a
luxury at the time and, thus, suitable to their considerably carefree lifestyles. (In addition, these
upper-class women, such as those of the Tudors, would often employ many housewives to help
maintain their estates- while women were still expected to do housework, wealthy women were
somewhat exempt by virtue of their prosperity.) However, to say that no females pursued a life
outside the home would be a complete overstatement. Although low in numbers, there were
women who pursued careers in the literary (such as Charlotte Gordon, who wrote Mistress
Bradsheet: The Untold Life of America's First Pet) or textile fields, or who ran business
accounts. Still, there were those few who spoke outwardly in manners that were generally
reserved for men in the time period- such as Anne Hutchinson, who was excommunicated from
the Puritan church for questioning its beliefs in 1638. The Puritan ideology was an important
facet of 17th century life, in which many women served in the roles of "Goodwives," where they
essentially maintained the economy of the household and ran the house itself. They were often
married, and, like the rest of society in this time period, served as secondary when placed
adjacent to men. Women who were unmarried or widowed were commonly looked upon as
outcasts, as visualized in the 1692 Salem Witch Trials- a series of cases in which numerous
civilians were tried under suspicion of being witches. Many females were brought to the stand as
untrustworthy often based on the mere fact that they did not have a living husband, only serving
to emphasize the unbreakable ties between a woman and family life in the 1600s.
The 1700s did not differ very much from the 1600s. Although this time period was
characteristically marked by the American Revolution and the signing of the Declaration of
Independence and the Constitution in 1776 and 1787, respectively, women were not very
involved in either aspect. In the words of Sir William Blackstone in 1753, "legal existence of
the woman is suspended during the marriage, or is at least incorporated and consolidated in the
will of the husband," and, unfortunately, not much about that ideology had altered by 1776.
Despite the fact that various women had served as nurses, cooks, or laundresses as they followed
their husbands in the army during the battle, it appeared that a female's only place in politics was
in the policy of Republican motherhood, or the concept that it was a mother's job to raise her
children with values representing the new form of government- therefore, the Constitution and
Declaration of Independence's provisions for civil rights focused their attention on men, driving
forth some annoyance by the feminist population. While it was by no means a popular or
accepted viewpoint to promote women's rights, these advocates certainly existed. A classic
example of one would be Abigail Adams, wife of 2nd U.S. president John Adams, who often
advised him with the government and frequently proposed women's rights. Regardless, a
women's place in American society stayed roughly constant from 1600-1800. They were still
primarily a class of mothers and housewives, and the U.S. was not yet ready to regularly view
them as anything more.
By the early 1800s, women were branching out from their family homes and starting
different associations, such as charities and women's refuges. Since they would be the caretakers
of America's future statesmen and the like, many people thought it was a good idea to give
women proper educations: and, thus, women began to start teaching and even managing some
institutions. Because of later pushes for equality, women would also start pushing alongside
abolitionists, for equality of sexes and people of color. As industrialization began to gain
momentum, the amount of women working would increase, as would the number in labor unions
which pushed for better pay and safety regulations in the workplace. Regardless of these
developments, however, the majority of women were continued to be expected to remain largely
within household activities. Society was still very patriarchic, and women were, primarily, still
confined by social standards to family life.
During the time period of 1851 to 1900, women were still oppressed and expected to stay
home with the children. They were the nurturers and care givers of the family while men worked
and were paid. However, there are some notable women who lived during this time as
well. Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton became active in the Women's New
York State Temperance Society in 1852. This society worked to decrease the flow of alcohol
and was pro-prohibition. This year also was home to the publishing of Harriet Beecher Stowe's
"Uncle Tom's Cabin." This novel described the horrors a slave experienced throughout his life
and ended up affecting many people in the North with anti-slavery sentiments. In 1869,
Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony once again arrived on the scene and created
the National Woman Suffrage Association. The association was created to try and gain women
the right to vote in presidential elections. Subsequently, in 1872, Susan B. Anthony was arrested
for attempting to vote in the presidential election. Alice Freeman Palmer, in 1881, became
president of Wellesley College, the first ever women college president in America. 1881 was
also when Clara Barton, who had been a nurse during the Civil War on the side of the North,
founded the Red Cross. In 1885, sharpshooter Annie Oakley started touring with Buffalo Bill in
their Wild West Show; she was one of the best shots in the country. Then, in 1887, Helen
Keller, blind and deaf, begins to be taught by Anne Sullivan. She eventually went to college and
graduated as well. A mere two years later (1889), Hull House is opened by Jane Addams and
Ellen Gates Starr in Chicago, created to help those unfortunate and from other countries
looking for a place to find friends and comfort. In 1899, however, the militant
prohibitionist Carrie Nation begins her crusades and her group of women to on riots in a strong
fit of anti-alcohol violence.
In 1906, Susan B. Anthony died. 1920s, a sexual revolution began and women wanted a
part; the flappers and vamps were borne unto the world. Also, 1920 the women's right to vote is
granted; the 14th Amendment! In 1921, Amelia Earhart took her first flying lesson and
Margaret Sanger founds the American Birth Control League. 1923, Bessie Smith began her
rise to fame and Edna St. Vincent Millay is the first woman to win the Pulitzer prize for poetry.
This was also the year the Equal Rights Amendment appeared in Congress. 1929, the first three
Nancy Drew novels are contracted by Mildred Wirt. 1932, Amelia Earhart's solo Atlantic
flight! France Perkins becomes the first female cabinet member as Secretary of Labor in 1933.
1935, Eleanor Roosevelt starts her newspaper column "My Day." World War Two hits! Women
flood the workplace, though many still remained at home, and Rosie the Riveter becomes a
national icon.
Throughout the time period from the 1950s to present time women finally were able to
get the rights they deserve. Women’s lifestyle changed throughout this time period. In the
1950s, most women were still stay at home wives and just cooked, cleaned and took care of the
children. Some women were trying to start a career and make their own money. As the years
progressed, women were able to get the same jobs that men had. Also more women were getting
accepted into college and getting a degree. Since 1982 women have earned more university
degrees than men. In politics women were seen as second class citizens. They had the right to
vote but as of 1960 only 234 of 7700 state legislators and no governors were women, but that
soon changed. More and more women started to be into politics. Just a few years ago we had a
woman run for president. As you can see today women seem to have more power than they did
back then. The most important that has changed is that women went from depending on men, to
becoming independent and not having to rely on men. Now women make their own money and
can take care of themselves. Women just seem to be getting stronger as the years go by.
Terms:
Charlotte Gordon
Salem Witch Trials
Declaration of Independence
Constitution
American Revolution
Tudors
Republican motherhood
Second-class citizens
Minimal education
Abigail Adams
John Adams
Puritan Church
Puritan Ideology
Elizabeth Cady Stanton
Susan B. Anthony
Women's New York State Temperance Society (1852)- a society that advocated for the female
vote, the right to divorce drunkard husbands, and temperance.
Temperance- social movement urging reduced or prohibited use of alcoholic beverages
Slave- a person in bondage to another person forced to do labor and such for them
Anti-slavery- people against slavery
Harriet Beecher Stowe
Uncle Tom's Cabin- a book detailing the horrible life of a slave. It caused anti-slavery sentiments
to stir.
National Women's Suffrage Association- an association dedicated to gaining the women's right
to vote.
Suffrage- the right to vote legally
Alice Freeman Palmer
Wellesley College
Clara Barton
Civil War
Red Cross- an organisation dedicated to the betterment of people through health and charity
Annie Oakley
Buffalo Bill
Wild West Show
Helen Keller
Anne Sullivan
Hull House- a home opened as a refuge to immigrants and the poor
Jane Addams
Ellen Gates Starr
Chicago
Militant Prohibitionist- people against alcohol to strongly they would stage protests, boycotts,
riots, etc
Carrie Nation
Susan B. Anthony
Flappers- teases who wanted to experience freedom in the 20s and would smoke, wear short
dresses, drink, and party.
Vamps- sexual women who were racy during the 20s. They were like flappers but more intense.
Women's Suffrage- the right to vote as a female
14th Amendment- the right to vote no matter what race, gender, sexual orientation
Amelia Earhart
Margaret Sanger
American Birth Control League- a league dedicated to gaining women's contraception so that
unplanned pregnancy would be less of an issue
Bessie Smith
Edna St. Vincent Millay
Pulitzer Prize- a prize awarded in the categories of literature, musical composition, and
journalism, and newspaper
Equal Rights Amendment- the amendment passed guaranteeing equal pay and treatment in the
workplace
Congress
Nancy Drew novels
Mildred Wilt
Amelia Earhart
Frances Perkins
Secretary of Labor- The United States Secretary of Labor is the head of the U.S. Department of
Labor who exercises control over the department and enforces and suggests laws involving
unions, the workplace, and all other issues involving any form of business-person controversies.
Eleanor Roosevelt
World War Two
Rosie the Riveter