Women s Rights Movement During The Nineteenth Century

Brian Marshall Ms. Place APUSH I May 26, 2016 Women’s Rights Movement Women in the nineteenth century began to fight for their rights as they were inspired by other abolitionist movements. Women were denied basic natural rights that were given to men. For example, women were not allowed to vote or own property. They also earned less money than men, even if they were working the same job. Men also had a more variety of opportunities in regarding jobs and careers. Women were expected to care for the children and the household. This unfair treatment inspired women to start abolitionist movements to gain equal rights to men. Although it was strongly opposed by most men, the women’s rights movement of the 1800’s was ineffective†¦show more content†¦Women in the nineteenth century also lived under a system called the cult of domesticity. Under this system, women were seen as the head of the household and there only job was to control their household while the men had many opportunities for career s (ic.galegroup.com). Much like the republican motherhood, this system had the mother in a separate, private sphere. Their main job was to care for the house, prepare food, and take care of the children and the husband. Under this system, women were also supposed to hold four virtues, piety, purity, submissiveness, and domesticity. Piety meant faith in religion as women were not allowed to pursue intellectual topics. Purity meant a women must remain faithful to their husbands and save their virginity until after marriage. Submission meant that the women must be obedient to the husband as men were superior to women at this time. Domesticity meant that the women’s main focus would be on the household and her private sphere, while only engaging in feminine activities such as housekeeping and cooking. The cult of domesticity gave women a higher value in society and gave them a greater amount of responsibility as most women believed the success of their family was in their hands. During the Industrial Revolution, women began working in factories and textile mills. Employers often employed young women as they could pay them less than men for their work in the factories. Women