The Development of the Women's Movement Research Paper
The Development of the Women's Movement
A review of the history of the women's movement from the 1800s to the present.
# 154051
| 1,463 words
| 5 sources
| 2014
| 
Published
on Oct 26, 2014
in
Women Studies
(Historical Figures)
, Women Studies
(Feminism)
, Women Studies
(Women and Society)
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Description:
This paper gives an in-depth review and analysis of major events throughout the women's movement. It explores history from the perspective of female leaders and details the changes that led to enormous progress for women in the United States.
From the Paper:
"American history is largely taught from a male perspective, focusing on the contributions and accomplishments of men in our country's major leadership positions. The limited inclusion of women in our nation's historical accounts can largely be attributed to the fact that women have not always been allowed the same opportunities to make societal change that men have. They have been denied the rights that have otherwise been granted to men for years. For a huge portion of this country's history, women were taught to remain silent and to accept that our position in society is one of complacency and subordination. Men have been considered the naturally stronger and more intelligent gender, thus allowing them to bask in roles of power and control. Patriarchy, a societal system in which men hold most of the power, held females back for many years. Though it still exists, women have been fighting back relentlessly against the injustice for several decades."In the earliest years of the United States, women were essentially second-class citizens with little to no power or recognition in society. Expected to restrict their attention to matters within the home and family, they could neither participate in community decision-making nor pursue an education or job. In the 1800's, women were not granted the right to sign a contract, keep personal wages, or own property (NWHM 1). In 1840, when the American Anti-Slavery Society held its annual meeting with Lucretia Mott and Lydia Marie Child serving their first year on the executive committee, several members left in rejection of their new positions (Trager 240). In spite of such resistance, women across the country bravely continued in their footsteps and rallied together in an effort to enfranchise women. Women's suffrage, the civil rights movement which focused on achieving women's right to vote, was a huge movement beginning in 1848 that shook the nation and began to change unfair social norms. As the National Women's History Museum describes on its website, "Suffrage activists spent more than 50 years educating the public and waging campaigns in the states and nationally to establish the legitimacy of 'votes for women.' Suffragists undertook almost 20 years of direct lobbying as well as dramatic, non-violent, militant action to press their claim to the vote," (NWHM). Clearly, women were dedicated to the pursuit of equality. Civil rights for both women and African Americans consequently increased as the 1800s progressed. More suffrage goals were created as women began to want more rights to own property, initiate divorce, and pursue careers."
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APA Format
The Development of the Women's Movement (2014, October 26)
Retrieved December 07, 2023, from https://www.academon.com/research-paper/the-development-of-the-women-movement-154051/
MLA Format
"The Development of the Women's Movement" 26 October 2014.
Web. 07 December. 2023. <https://www.academon.com/research-paper/the-development-of-the-women-movement-154051/>