Essay On Women's Rights In The 1800s

Women's rights during the 1800s changed drastically. In the beginning of the century, a woman had few freedoms, and her identity was linked directly with her husband and his property. She had no right to her own property, money children or any privileges as far as voting or statements in any law making decisions. As things progressed in the 1800s, things moved forward for women. They gained more rights, including the right to vote. Although there were many other major changes for women in the 1800s that were also very important to changing the woman's role in society. The divorce and matrimonial causes act and the custody of children act are both big legislation’s that changed the role of women towards the end of the 19th century.

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This act gave women the right to custody of her children under the age of 7 if the mother was of good character. This changed from the original custody rights of the mother not having any and the father having the choice to keep all of the children and not letting the wife have any say in the matter of keeping them. However this act changed that to allow court cases to decide the best solution to this problem by changing women's right to keep their children. Giving women more rights and available choices and decisions when previously in time it would all go to the husband. For example, the Caroline Norton case of 1839 where she was compelled from seeing her children for a long period after the husband's and Caroline's divorce where he was abusive and excessively controlling. This change was a major change in the woman's role by giving women the ability to take the matter of child custody to a court case where she has a fairer chance of winning the case from previous law meant she had more equality and was becoming a threat to the male dominance of