The Dawn of Women’s Emancipation Essay Example

wife and children.Another issue that fanned the flames of the women’s rights movement was the right to suffrage or the right to vote and have a say in the choice of political leaders. In a sense, the women wanted to be counted. Among the pioneers of the women’s rights movement was Lucy Stone. Born in 1818, she is lovingly referred to as the “morning star of the women’s rights movement. ” (Stone-Blackwell 2001) Miss Stone was an advocate of women’s suffrage and a staunch defender of human rights.

Upon her marriage, she refused to use her husband’s last name, preferring to keep her own, and history will remember Lucy Stone as the first American female to have formally done so. Her husband, Henry Browne Blackwell, became her staunchest ally, and was the only man of his time to have actively and shamelessly campaigned for equal rights for women. (Stone-Blackwell 2001) Miss Stone was also the first woman to receive a college degree in Boston, Massachusetts, known for being the venue of the some of the world’s best academic institutions.Lucy Stone founded and wrote the Women’s Journal of Boston, and she used the publication as the main venue for her to advance and promote the cause of women’s suffrage. For almost half a century, Miss Stone kept writing and campaigning for women’s rights, and did not stop until her death in 1893.

(Stone-Blackwell 2001) While Miss Stone may have been regarded as one of the pioneers of women’s liberation, Elizabeth Cady Stanton has been widely acknowledged as the founder and moving force behind the Woman's Rights movement. Griffith thus describes Stanton,She was an uncommon woman… She marshaled

her superior qualities in a daily battle against entrenched institutions that denied women their social, economic and legal independence. She was defeated again and again, but she continued the struggle with passionate impatience. ” (1984) For many years, Stanton served as the head speaker and writer of the organization, and was the leader of the women’s rights movement in more ways than one. She came to a union with Harry Stanton with the implicit agreement that it was going to be a marriage among equals.During the first women's rights convention held in 1848 in Seneca Falls, New York, which she organized, Stanton gave her famous Declaration of Sentiments, which captured the sentiments of all oppressed women all over the world.

What makes Stanton’s efforts more laudable is that she did not merely limit herself to voting rights, but went on to include other very important issues such as equal employment opportunities, education, property rights, parental and custody rights, and reproductive health, among others. (Griffith 1984)However, as with most organizations, Stanton’s leadership was not without its share of political problems. Her main criticism came from the fact that she, together with Susan B. Anthony, another women’s rights leader, refused to support the demand for legal protection and voting rights to African-Americans. To some women’s rights advocates, this went against the spirit of human rights upon which their movement was established upon.

This conflict of ideals created a rift which resulted in the creation of a separate women’s rights group.Fortunately, after some years, the conflict was resolved and the two groups were united under the helm of Stanton. Susan B. Anthony was born in 1820, and was

also a leader of the women’s rights movement. She was a staunch ally and friend of Stanton. She never married and dedicated her life to the movement, tirelessly campaigning for reforms that would create a society that is more cognizant and appreciative of women’s unique value and contribution.

Perhaps inspired by Lucy Stone’s pioneering courage, more women came to the fore and became leaders of the women’s rights movement.Among the more notable was Margaret Sanger, who actively campaigned for women’s sexual and reproductive rights. Alarmed by the increasing number of American women dying while giving birth, Sanger was persistently campaigning for the legalization of artificial contraception. While not exclusively involved with the women’s rights movement alone, Jane Addams ideas for social reform also deserve some mention among this list of notable women leaders of the time. Scholars believed that Addams may be the first woman social thinker in the United States.

She will be remembered in history as a pioneer in social work and social activism, taking up the cause of the poor, not just of women’s rights. Addams introduced the idea of the settlement house when she established Hull House in 1889. As an advocate for social change, she actively promoted better welfare, housing, health, and educational programs, for everyone, particularly the poorest in society. (Addams 1925) Her demand for better social conditions compelled people to look into the miserable plight of the poor and opened the doors for investigations and subsequent reforms.Addams was a foremost pacifist and feminist, actively complaining for women’s right to vote and for the immediate cessation to armed conflicts calling for the exploration of a peaceful resolution instead.

By virtue

of her pioneering works in social welfare and human rights, Jane Addams was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1931, four years before her death. Indeed, the period that straddled the end of the nineteenth century and the beginning of the twentieth century may very well be called the era of women empowerment. Everywhere, the women were clamoring for change and demanded that their voices be heard.They used every platform possible; they printed their sentiments, took to the streets and held demonstrations and parades, anything that will catch the public’s attention; they are willing to do, all in the name of women’s rights. The women leaders took an unflinching look at the mistakes of society and were committed to making a contribution to its improvement, however small that contribution may be.

By engaging in our common humanity and concern for one another, the women’s rights movement hoped to create a kinder society where everyone is empowered and has the opportunity for self-determination, regardless of one’s gender.It has been a long road since the dawn of women’s rights. Many advances have been made, and it can be said the sacrifices of these pioneers have been worth it. However, the struggle still remains. After all, it is incumbent upon every generation to create a society better than the one they have been born into. Indeed, it may always be a man’s world that we live in, but there is no denying the fact that the women have proven their worth and can now stand astride men as we continue to write our collective and individual histories.