Womans Rights free essay sample

Over the course of the last 200 years women’s roles have undergone a number of political and social transitions. From having little to no â€Å"control over their own lives† (Applebee) to gaining equality in the political and social arenas, the historical study of women in the United States is one without comparison. In the early to mid 1800’s women played a minimal role in life. They had little education; after marriage they were to stay at home and only do housework. They could not vote, be a part of the jury, had little education, and no employment. In 1836, the first women abolitionists appeared: Sarah and Angelina Emily Grimke. Angelina wrote An Appeal to Christian Women of the South. This called upon women to overthrow this horrible system of oppression and cruelty. Very few men supported their movement. The next movement was the Temperance Movement. This movement was the effort to prohibit the drinking of alcohol. We will write a custom essay sample on Womans Rights or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page In the 19th century; alcohol was used for everything but very few people saw drunkenness as a problem; yet, those behind the temperance movement did. â€Å"They held rallies, produced pamphlets, and brought about a decline in consumption of alcohol that would continue into the 1860s† (Bowes). Girls had few education opportunities; it was said â€Å"if women knew chemistry enough to have ‘the water boil in a pot’ was enough for women† (Bowes). The first women’s school was opened in 1821. In 1837 higher education was offered for women. African American women were forced out of schools and some schools were shut down if they provided education for black women. Towards the mid 19th century, educated women began health reforms. Research found that for every four women three were ill and one was healthy. The tight, multi-layered clothing and hot weather made it unhealthy for women. It was recommended that the women wear looser clothing; men were outraged and repulsed when women began to wear pants. Women’s rights emerged in the mid 19th century. Many reform movements fed the growth of the women’s movement. It provided women with increased opportunities to act outside their homes. The first women’s rights convention was held in New York; it was named Seneca Falls. Nearly 300 women and men gathered at Wesleyan Methodist Church. Lucy Stone’s sister wrote,â€Å"I can’t vote, but what care I for that, I would not if I could† (Bowes). The Sojourner Truth was the next act for women’s rights. The conditions for slaves worsened, so Isabella Baumfree took the name Sojourner Truth. She decided to sojourn or travel around the country spreading the word of abolition. She argued with others in women’s rights because she believed in abolition. Truth won the argument with her speech, which urged men to support women’s rights. In the 1960s, new women’s movements arose with feminism. Feminism is â€Å"the belief that women should have economic, political, and social equality with men† (Bowes). This won women’s right to vote in 1920, though women’s rights declined after this achievement but reopened in the 1960s. In the 1950s one out of three women worked wages, and women’s opportunities opened but they were still very shut out. Womens jobs paid very poorly, but by 1960s women wages increased by 40 percent. Most jobs for women were clerical work, domestic service, retail sales, social work, teaching, and nursing. Women were often pushed to the side until President Kennedy addressed the problem in 1961. â€Å"As the women’s rights grew, it achieved remarkable and enduring political and social gains for women† (Bowes). In 1963, Betty Friedan wrote the book The Feminine Mystique, this book encouraged housewives to begin meeting to discuss their lives and their roles in society. In 1966 a group was established named National Organization for Women (NOW). This group of women fought for the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Their goal was â€Å"to take action to bring American women into full participation in the main stream of American society now† (Cayton et al). They wanted fair pay and equal job opportunities; they wanted more balance in marriages. This was the fastest growing group in women rights. Congress passed the Equal Rights Amendments in 1972. This amendment states that women and men would share the same and equal rights; this was said to be â€Å"simple justice† (Bowes). A Stop ERA campaign was started in 1972. Phyllis Schlafly believed that ERA would lead to a â€Å"parade of horribles,† like drafting women, laws protecting homemakers, the end of husband’s responsibility to provide for their family, and same sex marriages. In order to get rid of ERA and pro-abortion supporters, conservatives formed the â€Å"pro-family† movement or the New Right. The New Rights and Women’s Rights clashed over ERA, but by 1977 women’s rights had the approval of 35 of the 38 states needed for the movement. By 1982, ERA had went down in defeat. In 1983, women’s rights held 13. 5 percent of elected state offices as well as 24 seats in the United States Congress.