America's struggle for equalit
The United States became independent 224 years ago. It would take years for its citizens to construct the framework of the government upon which the nation would be established. The United States was to be a nation based upon the fundamental rights freedom and equality, in which a person would be judged not by their make-up, but by their actions. However this vision of a utopian society was to be short-lived, as injustice began to emerge from every part of society. Sex, race, and color all affected the rights and privileges of the American citizen. And the only way to right these wrongs was through years of struggle and perseverance. In this essay I will be able to show briefly how some of America's laws became what they are today. Perhaps the group that experienced the greatest amount of resistance in their fight for equality was the American women. For years, women were viewed as frail, petite creatures whose job it was to carry out the housework, and care for the children of the family. Only in the mid-eighteen hundreds did women first begin to speak out against their role in society, and request the right to vote. By obtaining the right to vo
te women believed that they would become a more influential member of society. They were no longer content with their passive household role, and as a result began to fight for their right in to vote. Two of the major advocates for women's rights during the late eighteen hundreds were Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony. Stanton and Anthony, determined to change America's view of women and women's rights, traveled the country preaching women's rights, and aided in the publication of several newspapers advocating women's rights. Through their efforts, Stanton and Anthony probably played the two most influential roles in the eventual institution of the Equal Rights Amendment. Through making speeches, writing articles, and participating in women's groups Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony made significant progress for the rights of women in America. They helped improve women's rights in marriage, working conditions for women in factories, and women's rights to property. However it wasn't until much after their deaths that their final dream was to come true - the passing of the Sixteenth Amendment in 1972. The Amendment, in full, stated that 'Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or any state on account of sex.' Although Stanton proved effective inciting action through her work as a journalist, her greatest influence towards women's rights came through her work in forming and participating women's rights groups. Stanton was president of the National Woman Suffrage Association, during which time the group fought for the writing, and adoption of, the Sixteenth Amendment for women's suffrage. She also formed the Working-Woman's Association, fighting for improvements in women's labor conditions, and the Women's However unlike many slaves Douglass, in 1836, successfully escaped from hi plantation and fled to the town of New Bedford, Massachusetts. There he took on a new name, a new identity, and a new role as an influential abolitionist speaker. In 1941 Douglass gave an impromptu address at an antislavery convention in Nantucket, Massachusetts, and distinguished himself as a great orator, and an influential advocator of black rights. One of the reasons why Douglass was so effecti
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Approximate Word count = 1568
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)
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