Jacksonian Democracy AP History Essay by Emily Hoggatt Because of the blatant disregard of women's rights, the forced removal of Native Americans, and growth of slavery and racist ideas; the term 'Jacksonian Democracy' is an inaccurate reflection of the era between the years 1828-1848. Although it is true that universal manhood suffrage and the glorification of the common man grew in this era, I believe that the numerous undemocratic trends in this era outweigh the few democratic strides. The status of women's rights in the era termed Jacksonian Democracy was not impressive. Women, besides being denied suffrage, were also denied more basic rights such as ownership of property after marriage and the right to get divorced. Even though women had the right to vote for a short time in the state of New Jersey, the idea of letting women vote was seen as ridiculous by most of the population.
The Fight for Women’s Rights Essay 2 Outline Introduction Thesis: Elizabeth Cady Stanton fought for women to have legal rights, have better jobs, and higher education, even though many men shunned her. I. Women fought laws that would discriminate against them. A. Seneca Falls Convention B. “Declaration of Sentiments” C. Divorce rights D. Hold property E. Guardianship of children II.
In the early 20th century as people began to spread throughout the United States and encounter people of different origins the meetings didn't flow so smoothly. Before the Civil War, introduction of minorities to white-native lands wasn't going to be accepted easily. These minorities consisting of African Americans and Asians were seeking opportunities of refuge by reconstructing their lives socially and economically. It was especially a struggle for women in a male dominated society for who were seeking equality and liberation. In the books To 'Joy My Freedom, Unbound Feet and The Rise of the New Woman, the authors had similar discussions of the struggles women encountered during a time period of emotional and physical abuse.
The suffragette movement gave rise in Britain in 1860 by mainly middleclass women and it was a political struggle for women to be given the right to vote. The exclusion of women from the right to vote in parliamentary elections was the most striking example of inequality between men and women. In the 1860’s there were many ways in which women suffered inequality and discrimination such as married women not legally having the right to an independent existence. However this was mainly middle and upper class women as working class women due to daily struggles had to take on paid employment as well as her usual duties. However it is important to make clear that the women’s suffrage was not unique to Britain, similar movements had emerged in other countries in the second half of the nineteenth century.
The suffragette movement gained strength in America after black men got the vote (though most southern black men were effectively disenfranchised by literacy laws, the poll tax, threats and intimidation etc). Just as, in the UK, the movement grew when working class men got the vote. In both countries there was great resentment amongst upper class women that men of inferior social status could vote, when they couldn't. It spurred them on to greater efforts. The abolition movement was the movement to abolish slavery.
Women’s rights wasn’t an issue that was profoundly acknowledged until the late 18th, early 19th century. Early feminists emerged from the abolition movement. The issue was brought out while being compared to the situation of African Americans. These foremothers argued that men were to blame for women’s suffrage, and the reason there were so many restrictions on their rights was because of the men. They came to the conclusion that the relationship between the sexes was unjust, controlling and discriminatory.
African Americans were segregated from the whites and also Women had no rights because Men were seen as the alpha male. The obstacles of the two would probably fit into the race and gender of how America was back in the twentieth century. African Americans were always hard to be put in society in the 1900’s because of slavery. Even though slavery had ended in the 1950’s, they were still not accepted into society. The northern parts of the United States accepted African Americans, and many try to escape to the north to try to get employed and leave the racial segregation in the south.
The Women’s Right Movement changed the lives of the American Women for the better, due to gaining the right to vote, access to higher education, and the opportunity to enter the workforce. Before the reform movements of Women’s right, the American women were discriminated in society, home life, education, and the workforce. Women in the 1800s could not only vote, but they also were forbidden to speak in public. They were voiceless and had no self-confidence, they dependent men, since they had little to no rights (Bonnie and Ruthsdotter). Before the reform movement, the American Women were voiceless, they had no say in society, however the reform movement will soon change that.
It only provided the right of citizens of the United States to vote and not be denied by race or color. The Fifteenth Amendment granted black man the right to vote. So if black men could vote, why couldn’t women? Women who protested main goal was for the constitution to change and to guarantee women the right to vote. After many decades of women’s suffrage and protesting, the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was finally approved by the houses and ratified by the states on August 18, 1920.
This was the mindset the public had about what women should do before the civil rights movement. They discriminated against women because they believed that women were not smart enough or weren’t strong enough to work. That soon changed when women in the United States also rebelled for equal rights under the civil rights movement. In 1963, Women received their first break, Congress passed the Equal Pay Act which made it illegal for employers to pay a women less than what a man would receive. In 1967, President Johnson's policy of 1965 was expanded to cover discrimination based on gender.