Since the beginning of human existence, women have been viewed as inferior to men. Biblical teachings imply that the first woman came from the rib of a man. In the opinion of many people, both past and present, man is the head of the house. Patriarchal societies have dominated the world for thousands of years. Despite being regarded as subordinate human beings, "forces were at work undermining such attitudes from the earliest colonial days". .

             In the early years of American Colonial Society, the rights, roles, and responsibilities of women swayed from one viewpoint to another. In the mid 1600s, the first question of women"s rights was raised after Anne Hutchinson confronted the Puritan Church concerning the exclusion of women in church affairs. She eventually went to court and was found guilty. She was also banished from the Massachusetts Bay Colony. .

             The actions taken by the Colony did not represent the beliefs that other colonies had concerning women"s roles in society. The dangers of the New World, disease, Indian Wars, and westward expansion sometimes left women widowed, and having to bare her husband"s responsibilities. Through the necessity of having to perform tasks outside of their domestic obligation, women obtained a high amount of respect from their male counterparts. In fact, some colonies granted women the right to vote and own property.

             Women played an active role in the development of this country and its struggle for liberty (from England). Miriam Gurko calls it ironic that "it was the arrival of independence and the spread of democracy" that cost women their rights and labeled them second class citizens.

             Due to their passive nature, they almost became non-existent. When the United States of America was formed, women did not have any form of representation. It was not until the early to mid 19th century, when many states lifted voting restrictions to include all white men while overlooking the suffrage to women, that women began to publicly protest against their being legally and politically inferior.