Suffrage And Civil Rights Of Women During The 19th Century

Individualism is hard to achieve in this society due to many expectations such as cultural standards and societal pressures. As a woman myself, I have found it difficult to express myself fully because of these societal pressures telling me I have to be a certain way. This unit expresses that individualism and equality were harder to achieve for African Americans and women during the 19th century. During this time, women were struggling with basic human rights such as the right to vote, equality, and an education. Certain ethnic groups such as African Americans had additional struggles due to slavery, discrimination, and strenuous limitations to their rights. With these issues, the women’s suffrage and civil rights movements came to life.
Women were seen inferior to men because men believed they couldn’t handle certain things that a man could. In the article, it states, “Many thought that women were too fragile to participate in politics” (Study Sync 1). Men believed that women were too sensitive when it came to making decisions for themselves. They felt as if women needed protection. This created the societal norm that women were nothing without male guidance. The text states, “Married women could not own property or keep the money that they earned from employment. Women cannot practice law or medicine. Women also did not have the right to vote.” (Study Sync 1). It became very common for women to stay in the house and pick up all the chores, along with caring for children while their husbands went to work and provided everything for their family. Men believed that women couldn’t handle money responsibly, for this reason men took the spotlight while women were tossed to the side as babysitters. Additionally, they were not allowed outside to do anything besides grocery shopping or taking a walk without a male