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.”
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