The History of the Women's rights movement from 1800's to late 1900's Part 1

By Rakeli Gichuki

When it all began

The history of the women’s rights movements dates back to the year 1215 when the Magna Carta was released. It embodied the rights of all human beings by virtue of them being human under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. However, the year presiding 1800, that is from 1775 to 1783 was when the American Revolutionary War took place. The war was between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen colonies situated in what we now call America. During this period, men, women and children’s focus was survival and life was quite difficult. The 1800’s saw the end of the war and other issues about the society started to occupy people minds. Women noticed that regardless of the Magna Carta they did not enjoy the same rights as men.

However, before and during the war women were also silently agitating for recognition. This is because, women who were employed as nurses in the war held the positions unofficially, as if just to coincidentally assist the male persons who were doctors and nurses in the war. Women, who were teachers before and during the war, and even in the years after the war, were not allowed to pursue higher education.

Why human rights and women's rights

People wonder why the dichotomy between women’s rights and human rights. The Human rights framework comprehensively covers women rights by virtue of women being human. However, the women rights movement was imperative because women did not enjoy any of the political and socioeconomic rights contained in the declaration of human rights. Thus, the women rights movement was formed to better pronounce women rights, since women were systematically alienated from enjoying such rights.

Celebrated women of the time

Initially, the women rights movement’s groups demanded rights that were important for women if they were to realize their full human capacity.

Elizabeth Cady Stanton

Major steps in the women’s movements were achieved by women like Elizabeth Cady Stanton who in July 1848 published the Declaration of sentiment that was founded on the Declaration of independence and pronounced women’s equality and the right of suffrage for women.

Elizabeth Blackwell

In 1849 the women rights movement celebrated Elizabeth Blackwell as the first woman to attain a degree in medicine after years of agitation that women should be allowed to pursue higher education. This then saw the steady emergence of a class of women groups in addition to the existing one’s that worked with the poor, such as Christian groups devoted to the spread of the gospel and sort to reduce the use of alcohol in America. The new class of women groups fought to ensure that women enjoyed similar rights to those of men such as the right to own property, right of employment, freedom of conscience and the right to vote and run for office. January 1851 saw the first Women’s Rights Convention, organized successfully by Francis Dana Barker Gage and Hannah Tracy, and addressed by Sojourner Truth, in Ohio an African American women’s rights activist and an abolitionist. She gave the speech famously known as “Ain’t I a woman?” in which she illustrated the similarity between men and women, citing that she was of the same strength as men and could even eat just as much as a man could, if not more.

Sojourner Truth

The most interesting part of the speech in my opinion, was when she compared the intellect of a man and woman, and sent a message to the male counter-parts, stating that if they feel women are not of the same intellectual capacity, then they should not fear women would take too much of the entitled right. Reason being, women can only take that which their intellect can handle. This to me is a very significant challenge that exposes the patriarchal mentality of the time and reveals the wisdom and intellect of women and just how grossly it had been suppressed.

However, around this time as well, there was a slight fracture the women’s right movements. The National Woman Suffrage Association (NASWA) for instance, led by Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton championed for equal employment and education as well as the right to vote.  While the American Woman Suffrage Association (AWSA) believed in a more conservative approach to the women rights discourse and thus championed for a progressive and gradual implementation of women’s rights led by Lucy Stone. The group advocated that women be allowed to vote at first in small elections then gradually this right would include women voting in all elections including the national election.

However, in 1890, the two groups realized they were essentially fighting for the same rights and merged to form NASWA; they campaigned and created awareness on the existence of the organization as well as the women rights issues they were advocating for through printing pamphlets, speeches and parades.

Uncle Tom's Cabin

In 1852, Harriet Beecher Stowe novel; Uncle Tom’s Cabin sold a total of one million copies in United Stated and the in Britain as well. The book was mainly an anti-slavery book and was celebrated among the feminist circles as an achievement for the African Americans and the women as well as it was mainly written with a feminist undertone.  In November 1858 the Young Women Christian Association (YWCA) was formed in by 35 Christian women. The policy of the organization was informed by both Anglo-Saxon ideals and the organization though formed in London had an American secretariat. The organization’s main agenda is to promote peace, women’s leadership, development, human rights and women rights and is to date celebrated for providing sisterhood to young women who run for office as well as support to domestic violence victims among other successes.

The rest of the years leading up to the 1900 hundreds saw women emerging as leaders in the fore front of championing for women rights as well as realizing several first for women that were significant steps towards the full realization of women rights based on the past agitation for recognition of women rights. In 1884, Rebecca Lee became the the first African American woman to earn a medical degree and later on in 1872 there was a bold attempt by Victoria Woodhull who ran for the presidency of the United States of America. In the same year, in Rochester; Susan B. Anthony was arrested for leading a group of women to register as voters. In this time, women were still not allowed to vote and they felt and indeed, the denial of women the right to vote greatly undermined the spirit of democracy in America, because participation is essential to democracy.

1879 saw Belva Lockwood become the first woman to argue in congress, as she was advocating for women rights and 1884 saw Sarah Edmond receive pension for fighting in the civil war, which she did dressed up as a man. 1887 welcomed Susanna Medora Salter as the first woman to successfully run for office as a mayor in Argonia Kansas.
Presently
It became apparent that women rights movements were making tremendous achievement in securing the rights of women from the above successes mentioned. The struggle for full realization of women rights continued and continues today especially in the economic and political rights where patriarchy still sets the pace in a more disguised manner and not as openly as before. This happens in for instance, the wage bills that highlight a significance gap in wages between men and women among others.