Women’s

Rights:1) Where have we been?2) Where are we now?3) Where are we going?

Imagine….

Legal Status of Women in the Early Republic• English Common Laws

• property• wages• political activities

• State laws•Unable to vote•Unable to participate in politics

Property of Husband

•What kind of discrimination is this?

Discussion Questions:1) If women weren’t allowed to participate in

politics, what do you think their expected roles were?

2) How might this have affected the perception of women in the arena of politics?

What do you expect from me?

How did women participate in society?Abolition Temperance Moral Reform Education

Abolition Movement

Wrote articles for papers Created pamphlets Signed, circulated, and delivered

petitions Well-known women abolitionists

The Grimke sisters Elizabeth Cady Stanton Lucretia Mott

Moral Reform Anti-prostitution

Focus on issues leading to prostitution; for example, poverty

Asylum reform Dorothea Dix, 1843

Presented study to the Massachusetts state legislature on horrible conditions and treatment of women in asylums.

Temperance Movement Focused on issues that hurt homes and

families Violence Financial issues

Woman’s Christian Temperance Union

Education Active in educational reform both inside

and outside the home Teaching was the first real career

opportunity for women: why? Promoted new idea of being nurturing and

encouraging with children Advocated ideas of Horace Mann

Uniformity in curriculum and teacher training Grading by ability Grouping children by age

Critical Thinking

How might women’s participation in reform movements have led to their participating in the Women’s Rights Movement?

What do you think?

Women’s Rights Movement: 1848

Seneca Falls Convention New York 1848 Elizabeth Cady Stantion and Lucretia Mott First conference on women’s rights Modeled after the Declaration of

Independence Declaration of Sentiments

Signed by 68 women and 32 men

Opposing Viewpoints:Opposing Viewpoints:The Argument from the Other The Argument from the Other

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