The Evolution of Women’s Rights

Melissa Nique

HIS204: American History Since 1865

Michael Mayo

February 7, 2010
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Even though women’s rights have come a long way since the 1800’s, women still

suffer from oppression in this, the 21st century. After 150 years of fighting for equality

among the sexes, people today have no idea of the struggle that women went through and

are continuing to go through, so that women of future generations can have the same

privileges as men. Seven generations have come since the women’s rights movement

began and the women of today have different opportunities in family life, religion,

government, employment, and education that women of past generations have fought for.

The Women’s Rights Movement began with a small group of people that

questioned why human lives, especially those of women, were unfairly constricted. These

women also worked diligently to create a better world. The movement began as early as

1848, but with the 1869 passing of the Fifteenth Amendment (Davidson, 2008), the

women’s rights movement swung into action. This movement didn’t just happen because

someone thought that it was time for women to have the same rights as men, women of

all ages came together at the start of it in order to fight for their equality. Women have

affected changes in laws and human nature by holding meetings, petition drives,

lobbying, public speaking, and also by demonstrating nonviolent resistance. Leaders of

the movement fought for freedom in family life, government, religion, employment, and

education.

In 1869, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony created the National

Women’s Suffrage Association (Halsall, 1998). As a leader of the Women’s Rights

Movement, Elizabeth Cady Stanton drafted the “Declaration of Sentiments” which drew

its inspiration form the Declaration of Independence (Halsall, 1998). Through this

declaration, Stanton enumerated areas of life where women were treated unjustly
 Evolution of Women’s Rights 3

compared to the treatment of men. By using this writing, Stanton campaigned for

women’s rights by paralleling them to the “American Symbol of Liberty.” The

declaration read as such:

“When, in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one

portion of the family of man to assume among the people of the earth a position

different from that which they have hitherto occupied, but one to which the laws

of nature and of nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of

mankind requires that they should declare the causes that impel them to such a

course.

We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men and women are

created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable

rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; that to

secure these rights governments are instituted, deriving their just powers from the

consent of the governed. Whenever any form of government becomes destructive

of these ends, it is the right of those who suffer from it to refuse allegiance to it,

and to insist upon the institution of a new government, laying its foundation on

such principles, and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem

most likely to effect their safety and happiness.

Prudence, indeed, will dictate that governments long established should

not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath

shown that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than

to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But
 Evolution of Women’s Rights 4

when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object,

evinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their duty to throw

off such government, and to provide new guards for their future security. Such

has been the patient sufferance of the women under this government, and such is

now the necessity which constrains them to demand the equal station to which

they are entitled.

The history of mankind is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations on

the part of man toward woman, having in direct object the establishment of an

absolute tyranny over her. To prove this, let facts be submitted to a candid

world”(Halsall, 1998).

After having said this, she went into the specific abuses. The offenses included:

married women were legally dead in the eyes of the law, women were not allowed to

vote, women had to submit to laws when they had no voice in the in their formation,

married women had no property rights, husbands had legal power over women and

responsibility for their wives to the extent that they could imprison or beat them with

impunity, divorces and child custody favored men and gave no rights to women, women

had to pay property taxes even though they could not have any access to property

ownership, most occupations were closed to women but the women who worked earned a

fraction of the salary of men, women were not allowed to enter professions, women had

no right to an education after high school, women could very rarely partake in any church

function, and finally, women were robbed of their self-confidence and self-respect,

therefore making them completely dependent on men.

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Upon introducing those offenses to other women, Stanton and other leaders of the

movement began planning the first Women’s Rights International Convention that was to

be held in Seneca Falls, New York, July 19-20, 1848 (Lampman, 1998). During the two-

days of discussion at the convention, the Declaration of Sentiments and twelve other

resolutions received unanimous endorsement. The only resolution that did not pass was

the call for women’s enfranchisement. To most, the idea that women should have the

right to vote was inconceivable and unheard of.

In 1890 the National Women’s Suffrage Association joined with the American

Women’s Suffrage Association to form the National American Women’s Suffrage

Association (Hallsal, 1998). The suffrage victory drew near in 1919. Around this time,

the National American Woman Suffrage Association was in the process of reconfiguring

itself into the League of Women Voters (Davidson, 2008). Through this league, members

would ensure that women would take their hard-won vote seriously. They would also

make sure that women used the privilege wisely.

Shortly after the formation of the League of Women Voters, the Women’s Bureau

of the Department of Labor began in 1920 (Women’s Fight for Equal Rights”, 1946).

The purpose for establishing the Bureau was to gather information about the situation of

women at work. It also advocated for changes that it saw necessary to society. Many

women voters also became actively involved by lobbying for legislation to protect

women workers from abuse and unsafe working conditions.

The Women’s Bureau of the Department of Labor served as inspiration for Alice

Paul, a Women’s Rights Movement leader, to draft the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA)

in 1923 (Women’s Fight for Equal Rights”, 1946). She thought that this would be the
 Evolution of Women’s Rights 6

wisest step in the fight for equality among the sexes. This Amendment would guarantee

that women would be granted the same rights as men. Basically, women would be

guaranteed employment of their choice and a higher education if they so desired,

regardless of their location. To this day, the ERA has failed to gain ratification and is

still an open issue.

Many items that were in question on the ERA have been addressed through a

variety of other means. The Equal Pay Act of 1963 was passed which amended the Fair

Labor Standards Act to make it illegal to pay workers lower wages strictly on the basis on

their sex (Women Still Struggling for Equal Pay, 1999). It is often summed up with the

phrase “Equal pay for equal work”. This was a major step towards closing the wage gap

in women’s pay.

In the past it had been generally accepted that women did not deserve to earn as

much money as men because they were not heads of households. However, in many

homes they were in fact the sole breadwinner, for various reasons, ranging from death or

disability of a spouse to divorce or single parenthood. Regardless of roles in the family

the Equal Pay Act established a single standard to apply to both sexes (Katz & Andronici,

2006). Equal Pay is still an ongoing issue amongst women’s rights activists today.

In 1972 Congress amended the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to include Title VII,

which bans sex discrimination by all institutions that receive federal funds, which equates

to just about everyone (“What do Women Want?”, 1980).

After women had won the fight for basic freedoms and privileges, a second-wave

of the Women’s Rights Movement began rapidly approaching in the sixties. This part of

the movement was called the “Birth Control Movement.” A public health nurse, Margaret
 Evolution of Women’s Rights 7

Sanger, initiated this part of the Women’s Rights Movement (Echols, 1989). In her

opinion, if women had the right to vote and other privileges, then they should have the

right to control their own body, especially when it came to their own reproduction and

their own sexuality. The goal of this wave was to allow women the privilege of deciding

whether they would become mothers or not and if so, when that would happen.

Throughout this time, women began to advocate for women’s reproductive rights

and surrogate motherhood. They also began to fight for protection from pornography and

sexual harassment. In the fight for women’s reproductive rights, women fought for the

right to terminate pregnancy through abortion or prevent pregnancy through birth control

pills. For the surrogate motherhood issue, some women argued that it was the free right

of women to “rent” out their womb. In other words, they thought that it was their right to

have children for the women who couldn’t bare children.

In the struggle for protection from pornography, women argued that it could be

potentially dangerous for women and that it was degrading to them. Some women also

said that pornography was a free speech issue and that women could choose for

themselves what they wanted because of the First Amendment. In the debate over sexual

harassment, women wanted more protection and punishment from sex offenders because

of the trauma that rape puts women through. In their defense, it also causes oftentimes-

serious medical problems as well as emotional trauma. In the fight for reproductive

rights, sexual harassment also alluded towards abortion. One of the topics brought up was

that if a woman was raped and she got pregnant from the offender, she should have the

right to abort the pregnancy because it was unwanted. Thus, these topics brought about

the most serious and controversial issue that is still being debated over today: abortion.
 Evolution of Women’s Rights 8

The issue of abortion was first brought up in front of the Supreme Court in 1973

when the Roe vs. Wade case was introduced (Garrow, 1994). This case legalized all

abortions up until the "point at which the fetus becomes 'viable'”. The courts decided that

it was the right of women to decide whether they wanted to have a child if they were to

get pregnant.

Although abortion is a very emotional and controversial subject, it is also

something that women have to decide for themselves. Many of the rights that women

have won because of the Women’s Rights Movement are based on opinions. Women can

either take advantage of their freedoms and privileges, or they can just not do anything

about it. For instance, it is basically up to a woman if she decides to vote or not.

So in conclusion equality among the sexes is an ongoing battle for women. They

fight for the basic rights of humans while fighting against traditions and social and

cultural norms. Women today are faced with so many more opportunities than women of

previous generations. However, many women are held back from these opportunities

because of the belief of men that they are superior to women. Basically, no matter what

women do, there will always be discrimination against women whether it is for

employment opportunities or educational opportunities. In today’s world, women have

won many more privileges because of how much times have changed since the start of

the Women’s Rights Movement. This struggle is an ongoing battle that will most likely

never end.
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References

Davidson, D., Heyrman, L., & Stoff (2008). Nation of Nations: A Narrative History of

the American Republic, Vol.II: since 1865 6th ed. McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Echols, A. (1989). Daring to be bad: radical feminism in America, 1967-1975.

Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press. pp. 416.

Garrow, D. (1994). Liberty and Sexuality: The Right to Privacy and the Making of Roe V.

Wade. Univ. of Calif. Press, p. 556. Retrieved February 1, 2010 from

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Hallsal, P. (1998). Modern History Sourcebook: The Declaration of Sentiments, Seneca

Falls Conference, 1848. Retrieved February 1, 2010 from

http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/senecafalls.html

Katz, D., & Andronici, J. (2006). No More Excuses!. Ms, 16(4), 63-64. Retrieved from

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Lampman, J. (1998, July 20). Women set new agenda for the 21st century. Christian

Science Monitor, p. 10. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier database.

(1980). US: What do women want?. National Review, 32(16), p. 943-945. Retrieved from

Academic Search Premier database.

(1946). US: Women’s fight for equal rights. Congressional Digest, 25(12) p. 289-290.

Retrieved from Academic Search Premier database.

(1999). US: Women Still Struggling for Equal Pay. Women's International Network

News, 25(4), 65. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier database.