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The Controversial Rights of Women in the 1800s

The enlightening years of the 1800s were full of new found glory in the United States. New religions were founded, immigrants were attracted, and reforms were beginning their movements. One of these such reforms was the reform of women's rights. Women became more known and much more influential among the American people. An "evolution" of women occurred in the 1800s, in which the roles of the female in the family, workplace, and society changed drastically. Before the 1800s women were the center of their family. They made food, cleaned, brought up their children, and did the everyday housework. Despite their lack of recognition, they were the rock that made every man strong. Beginning in the 1800s, these profound ladies began to wonder why they were thought of so differently than men. Their roles in the home began to change once they started their reform. Females were thought to be the property of their husbands or fathers. Therefore, it was their husbands decision on whether they were allowed to have a child. Before the 1800s women were expected to have lots of children. In fact, it wasn't uncommon for them to have six or seven. However, when the 1800s came around, women began to practice a form of "birth control" known as domestic feminism. This was one of the many examples of their changing roles. Document A and document C show the evolution of the roles of these heroic females. Prior to the Second Great Awakening, ladies were expected to work in their homes. Once Elias Howe and Isaac Singer invented the sewing machine, the roles of females went from their comfort zone, the home, to an unknown territory, large scale factories. These select women who worked for a living were thought to be a little strange. They began to think for themselves and manly habits began to rub off on them in this workplace. However, there were some "institutes" that tried to correct this behavior. One such "institute" resembled a boarding school. The factory bosses became these females' parents and they lived and worked on the factory grounds. Before the 1800s this type of working arrangement wasn't even imagined. Document B and document F are just a few examples of how females began to reform their ways of life in almost every aspect, including the workplace. After the Second Great Awakening, the reformation of women was a mesmerizing event. It showed females changing their lives in their homes and workplaces, but nobody ever thought that this reformation would touch on social issues, such as politics. The ladies of the 1800s wanted to show they weren't all talk, but took action. To demonstrate this they began to break the tradition of dress codes and sometimes even etiquette (as document E demonstrates). They pushed for the rights to vote and even attacked the Declaration of Independence. In the Seneca Falls Convention, held in New York, heroic women read the Declaration of Sentiments. This roaring form took the Declaration of Independence and included women and their rights amongst those of the men. This ground breaking event caused quite a commotion amongst the prim and proper U.S. citizens. Another example of the outspoken women and their evolving roles in society, would be document D. Today most women would be grateful for the outspoken ladies of the 1800s, but back then females such as Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton lived lives full of turmoil and destruction due to their love of fighting for women's rights. These influential women would be proud to know their strong words and stubborn ways were not for nothing. The women of the 1800s changed the history of these United States through their forced evolution of roles in the family, workplace, and society. They will be forever remembered amongst those who use these controversial rights daily.