The Role Of Feminism In The 19th Century

The American movement for women’s liberation and rights was undoubtedly the most progressive in the decades that followed the Second World War. The second wave of feminism that ensued in the 1960s and 70s redirected the goals and ambitions in the fight for gender equality in many aspects. This new wave of liberal reform allowed women to break free from the domestic sphere from the conservative restraints of the 1950s, which have traditionally limited a women’s access to the same political, economic, and educational rights as men. While the fight for women’s equality started to make real headway post World War II, the fight for women’s rights has existed long before then. This can be seen in the Antebellum reforms or the first wave of feminism from the early 19th century to the early 20th century. The first wave of feminism and the Antebellum reforms were greatly intertwined. In the early stages of feminism, the goal was not to make women equal to men. Instead, women often tried to fix the ills of society by preaching temperance, creating schools for urban immigrants, creating mental asylums, and developing orphanages. In fact, many women feared that too much equality would make women seem too “mannish.”
The first wave of feminism formally began at the 1848 Seneca Falls Convention with the “Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions” by Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B.
Anthony, and Matilda J. Gage. This was the beginning of change in how women viewed themselves as equals. Stanton’s declaration criticized the hypocrisy of the Declaration of Independence, which states that everyone has inalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, which has been denied to women. She argues that women should be held to the same standards and have the same rights as men in law, education, and employment. There was also early discussion of giving women the right to
vote. However, in the mid 19th century, the first wave of feminism was mainly propelled by middle class, Western, heterosexual, white women, leaving out the voices of a significant amount of women. It took three years after the Seneca Falls Convention for women of color to be heard, specifically Soujourner Truth. In 1851, Truth delivered her speech “A’n’t I a Woman?” at a women’s rights meeting, which showed that society’s concept of a women failed to include all women. Truth would have never been able to even present her speech if it had not been for Matilda J. Gage, who allowed her to speech. Other women tried to stop her for fear that the women’s rights movement would be mixed up with the abolition movement. Regardless, Truth effectively rebuked the antifeminist arguments of that time including those from ministers. She was also able to convince the audience that women are strong and capable drawing evidence from her experience as a slave. In return, she received a standing ovation from the audience. The early 20th century was a turning point for the fight for women’s rights as the 19th Amendment was passed. The ratification of the 19th Amendment on August 18, 1920 allowed all women the ability to vote. All of the preceding women’s rights conventions led to this pivotal moment. Women like Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony, Matilda J. Gage, and Sojourner Truth all helped for this push into a new era. Although the ratification of the 19th amendment was a huge step, it was not enough to provide women with complete equality in the political, economic, or social spheres. Inequality was very much still prevalent throughout World War II and the fight for equality persisted. Betty Friedan’s “The Feminine Mystique” pointed to the lack of opportunities that women faced and described the 19050s suburban home as a “comfortable concentration camp.” Friedan mainly addressed the problem that most suburban housewives felt in the 1950s, which was the subservience to their male counterpart. Women after World War II began to fight not only for political equality, but social equality as well. They sought to obtain the same opportunities as men and even though there were more women attending college and in the workforce, their opportunities for advancements were lagging far behind those of men. While it is true that the American movement for women’s rights was definitely the most progressive in the times after World War II, the fight for equality did not blossom only after the fact. The first wave of feminism happened as early as the 1820s during the Antebellum period, long before the Second World War. Even before the first wave of feminism, feminist ideals have existed since the Ancient Greeks in 570 BCE. The fight for equality is an ongoing battle as women still face discrimination today. This new wave of feminism is still fighting for economic, social, and political equality for not only women, but for everyone. The fight for women’s rights is not new; women have been fighting to be seen as equal for centuries before World War II. Perhaps this new wave of feminism can end the fight for good.