Woman in Midcentury
In 1840 leaders of the antislavery movement gathered in London, England. Among the Americans attending were woman. Yet, when they tried to take part in the actual meeting, they found themselves ignored and silenced. Men angrily claimed that it was not a woman’s place to speak in public. They voted not to allow woman delegates to play a role in the meeting. Instead, the woman sat and said nothing. Today, this sounds like discrimination, but in the beginning of the antebellum years, this outlook towards woman, by men, was not unusual. Many people believed that woman should not play a role in public life. Their role was supposed to be in the home, washing clothes, fixing dinners and attending to children. Women were not supposed to be “speaking their minds” or participating in voting. Woman could not vote, sit on juries, or hold public office. Many laws treated woman as children. In most states, a husband controlled any property his wife inherited or any wages she earned. A husband could also punish his wife, as long as he did not seriously harm her. Most women of this period accepted their role without complaint. Society however was changing and new roles for women were developing. Nevertheless, some woman felt stifled, and they
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Some common words found in the essay are:
England Americans, Seneca Falls, Americans Europeans, Carol Dubois, Cady Stanton, , true womanhood, seneca falls, husbands wives, roles women, home workplace, role society, rights female, play role,
Approximate Word count = 955
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
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