The Fight for Protecting Women Rights in 1700-1877 - Research Paper Example

Women Activism 1700-1877 Introduction: The fight for protecting women rights and attempts to provide them equality in every dimensions of social existence along with their male counterparts is one of the most important issues that evoked mixed reaction from people. Since inception of the 20th century, social perception regarding rights and status of women has undergone huge change compared to the conventional situation. While modernist intellectual development has considerable impact in radicalizing such improvement, however, women, in order to protect their rights, liberty and equal status in social context as that of their male counterparts, have become more organized. Feminism, in the modern socio-political and philosophical domain has been provided with special attention from every discipline of sociological studies. However, there is no denial that in order to evaluate the position of feminism as a poignant socio-political and philosophical discipline it is also important to acknowledge the history of women activism as well as the gradual process of development of the movement that was gradually germinating since late 16th century. Compared to the recent situation of women in civilized world they were tremendously challenged and consequently oppressed in the context of “expressing themselves in a patriarchal system that generally refused to grant merit to womens views.”1 One of the greatest feminist thinkers of all time, Simone de Beauvoir, in her essay “The Second Sex,” while attempted to evaluate the position of women in traditional patriarchal system said that a woman in terms of patriarchal judgment is nothing but a womb, a mere organism for child production2. She also has specified that every time women have proved their existence as equal to their male counterparts in terms of merit and capacity of accomplishment the same system has declared that “they are not women, although they are equipped with a uterus like the rest.”3 It is clear from these observations that women in hands of the traditional social patriarchy are considered as mere instruments of sensuality, objects of attaining physical pleasure, organic manifestation of sensuality and above all they are regarded as organisms without individual identity and human entity. The patriarchy has always denied acknowledging the humane attributes of a woman. The male dominated social system always faced difficulty to share its monopolistic position with female counterparts and by denying humane attributes or entity of women they actually aimed at oppressing women for its selfish benefits. Thus, in order to revolt against the established system and secure their rights, social protection and equality the women activists provided highest importance on initiating a moral revolution through cultural and political domain of the 17th and 18th century. The women activists clearly realized that only a prolonged, sincere, and committed mode of protest against the established set up would help them to attain their goals and impression of the same conviction can be received from writing of one of the most eminent women activists of all time, Elizabeth Cady Stanton (1815-1902): “We cannot bring about a moral revolution in a day or year …. Now that I have two daughters, I feel fresh strength to work. It is not in vain that in myself I have experienced all the wearisome cares to which woman in her best estate is subject.”4 Thesis Statement: The manifestation and magnitude of women activism as it is experienced throughout the globe has it root deep in the history of women activism during early 17th to late 18th century. The participants in activism emphasized mainly on “recognition of the relationship between the private realm of home and family and larger system of public power”5 in order to introduce the desired moral revolution both on cultural and political grounds so that protection for women rights, social equality and recognition as equal human entities as that of their male counterparts, can be attained. Women Activism: In different phases of the human civilization arguments regarding social equality, protection of rights and dignity, and women as equal to males has been raised. History bears clear instances in support of the observation that women have proved their capability both from intellectual and physical perspectives through their ample contribution in art, politics, war, philosophical cultivation and by sharing equal responsibility with men in household issues. However, prior to the 17th century struggle of women with sincere aim to claim their rights against patriarchal conventionality actually never took such an organized form so that it can be termed as activism. Myra Marx Ferree and Mangala Subramaniam are of opinion that “Activism is a broad concept. Whereas activism refers primarily to political actions, the boundaries of what counts as political cannot be narrowly drawn, because, in a feminist view, the personal is also political. Thus, activism as we define it encompasses all collective efforts to change power relations at all levels, from the interpersonal to the international.”6 Keeping into consideration this opinion it becomes evident that participation of women in different dimensions of existence cannot be termed as activism because women actually worked as instruments in hands of the patriarchy. The organized efforts of women to protect their rights differ from these actions because through their actions since this time onward they actually influenced the conventional norms of gender and cultural politics. While their actions had close relevance to that of their personal lives, on their other hand they, through their organized effort, were capable of creating a bridge between personal and socio-cultural politics. Women Activism in 1700s: Immediate prior to the 17th century the Western world was dominated under the principles of Reformation. The era of Reformation, irrespective of all its noble aims was entirely dominated by patriarchy and its “basic presumptions about family and domestic life are aptly described as patriarchal.”7 Keeping into consideration the politics of social construction in this period it would not be an exaggeration to say that religion played a major part in social governance and consequent determination of the stronghold of patriarchy over every attempt for women liberation: “The Reformation did little to exchange existing stereotypes that women were unruly and sexually voracious. Unmarried (and therefore masterless) women might be regarded as dangerous, and laws in various places prohibited them from taking up residents in cities, or living on their own …. In terms of Christian vocation or calling, the Protestant Reformation offered women only the dual package of marriage and motherhood.”8 However, in 17th century decline of Protestantism and revival of Catholic control over social governance played a positive part for women as they received sufficient scope to “form an absolute majority of persons in religious life.”9 While during prolonged rule of the Protestants women had to be confined to domestic works, revival of Catholicism empowered them with the capacity to involve themselves within layers of social existence and consequently through their consciousness they also started influencing the conventional patriarchal structure to participate in the moral revolution that ultimately aimed at welfare of women belonging to different dimensions of social existence. Under protection and patronage of Catholicism, throughout Europe several major women religious leaders emerged, namely, Angela Merici, Jeanne-Francois de Chantal and Francis de Sales, and Mary Ward, who considerably helped in developing the fertile ground for women activism in near future. In the United States condition of women was also not very different compared to their European counterparts. The process of English invasion in the United States a strong foundation as within a gap of six years (1664 and 1670) the English troops occupied New Netherland and later on they established their colony in South Carolina. While along with the invasion, English moral values as well as attitude towards women were also fusing with American culture, the publication of Mary Rowlandson’s book Sovereignty and Goodness of God (1682) can be regarded as a strong approach towards celebration of women activism. Publication of the book not only asserted equal intellectual capacity of a woman with her male counterparts but also the spirit of American feminism also became evident. Quite likewise as that of the European context, rise of women activism was not accepted positively by American patriarchy was evident from the infamous Salem Witch Trial (1692). However, later on (1730-70) the situation became positive for women due to the Great Awakening and women received opportunities to prove their respective credibility irrespective of patriarchal domination. The instance of increasing women activism became more poignant as in response to the oppressive Tea Act women of Edenton and North Carolina signed tea nonconsumption agreement.10 However, these incidents actually prove that organized women activism was only at the state of genesis and it had to wait till the post-revolutionary years to take a strong form. Women Activism in late early to late 18th century: During the years of revolution while American men actively participated in the war and tales of their struggle have been mainly discussed by historians, on the other hand, women also formed several voluntary societies that helped their male counterparts to a large extent in deciding their actions according to the nature of war. In the post revolutionary years these organizations proliferated and contributed considerably in organizing women activism for protection as well as attainment of their social rights: “Women voluntary societies proliferated in the postrovolutionary years. As much as did men, American women helped create “the age of benevolent institutions” so striking to Noah Worcester in 1816, and so impressive to Alexis de Tocqueville in 1832 …. Paralleling the emergence and spread of these groups were important changes in women’s social experiences and in ideologies about womanhood. The same decades that witnessed the development of the first permanent women’s societies saw a major refiguring of the colonial gender system to accommodate the economic, political, and religious upheavals that accompanied and followed the American Revolution.”11 The development of organized women activism in the American history and consequent spread of its essence in different social dimensions throughout the Western culture resulted from New York and Boston. Pondering over importance of the region over in constructing the impact of organized women activism a British traveler, Alexander Mckay clearly stated that “There is no other town in America the history of which better illustrates the rapid progress of material and moral civilization in the United States than that of the city of Rochester.”12 The first two waves of organized women activism simultaneously in the years (1797-1806) and (1812-1820) changed the perception of womanhood in American society to a large extent. While in the first wave women provided considerable focus on different dimensions of social reform, which mainly included improvement of moral, social and financial status of women and children, in the second wave individuals were encouraged to share their personal experiences in the organizational context. It not only helped women to find to trace the connection between their personal life and socio-cultural existence, but also members of the group felt motivated to a greater extent in helping women and children for their protection, empowerment of the organizations, financial betterment and fight more assertively for protecting their social rights.13 Conclusion: The struggle of women in order to be organized and spread their activism to a further extent so that rights of women at any position of social existence is filled with obstacles. While a very important problem was developing organizations, moreover, the situation was worsened further as such attempts were regarded by patriarchal social construction as threats against social stability and more importantly, of their monopolistic hold over social governance. In the European context, irrespective of the intellectual enlightenment the traditional ideas regarding a woman’s nature were almost irrevocable. Without fall of the Protestant rule women would have never received the opportunity to assert their capability in socio-cultural and socio-religious contexts. Later on, however, intellectual contribution from philosophers like Kant, Voltaire, Montesquieu, Rousseau, and Diderot definitely contributed to a large extent in challenging the norms of patriarchal social construction and consequently provided women with the opportunity to express their liberalism at least in a more favorable manner.14 However, without the organized women activism in the United States since late 17th till late 18th century, women of the Western world would never have received the social position as they are enjoying in recent times. Compared to the European context, women activism in the United States was more effective because it reached to the deepest layers of social existence. Women helped each other to recognize the connection between their personal and socio-cultural existence and finally their mutual assistance towards one another in terms of protecting their social status as human entities clearly paved the path for modern feminist movement. Works Cited Anne M. Boylan. The origins of womens activism: New York and Boston, 1797-1840. (North Carolina: The UNC Press Books, 2002). Crista DeLuzio. Womens rights: people and perspectives. (Santa Barbara, California: ABC-CLIO, 2010). Karen M. Offen. European feminisms, 1700-1950: a political history. (Stanford: The Stanford University Press, 2000). Myra Marx Ferree and Mangala Subramaniam. “Activism”. Routledge international encyclopedia of women: global womens issues and knowledge. Identity politics to Publishing, Volume 3. Nancy A. Hewitt. Womens activism and social change: Rochester, New York, 1822-1872. (Lanham, Maryland: Lexington Books, 2002). Peter Marshall. The Reformation: a very short introduction. (Oxford: The Oxford University Press, 2009). Simone de Beauvoir. “The Second Sex.” 1949. Retrieved from: http://www.marxists.org/reference/subject/ethics/de-beauvoir/2nd-sex/introduction.htm. Accessed on: June 29, 2011. “Women in the 16th, 17th, and 18th Centuries – Introduction.” 2011. Retrieved from: http://www.enotes.com/feminism-literature-cc/women-16th-17th-18th-centuries. Accessed on: June 29, 2011. Read More