Women didn’t really begin to truly stand up for equality until the 1800’s during an era we now call the suffrage. The suffrage was the stand against the rights of women. Millions of women were involved, and it held three different generations of females who fought for their rights. Women were fed up with the standards that said women did not need an education or the same job opportunities as men. Overall, they just fought for the same rights as men.
For a long time, when women married a man, the husband practically owned their wife, children, crops, house, and goods. Men could send their wife and children away to a poorhouse (a poorhouse is similar to common day welfare programs except that poorhouse provided a shelter), and women could not object. Women were not fond of this law for obvious reasons, and they fought for their right so that they could hire a lawyer that helped women sue for some of the property and goods that their husbands would be taking away from them.
Marriages continued to treat women fairly. Throughout the 19th century, women slowly gained more ways to free themselves from a husband who did not treat them correctly. by 1857, women could divorce husbands who were cruel to them or husbands who were not present in the family. By 1891, no women was made to live with her husband unless that was her own desire. These changes may seem insignificant, but they later formed into rights that had a great impact on womens roles in society.
Even outside of marriages, women’s roles were changing. Women were bound to factory work, writing and teaching. Many women wanted to pursue careers in the medical field, but this was nearly impossible because in 1846 the American Medical Association barred women from membership. However, women did not simply give up. Since they could not study at “mens” medical colleges, they simply started their own schools, such as the Female Medical College of Pennsylvania. By the year of 1890, about five percent of total doctors in the United States were women.
Elizabeth Garrett Anderson was a women who wanted to be a doctor but to achieve this occupation she had to work extremely hard. She and other females who pursued careers in the medical field received a lot of negative feedback from all sorts of people. Even when women like Anderson did manage to find a medical job, it was hard to find anyone that would help her get a good medical review. Many people were terribly old fashioned and couldn’t accept a women doctor. It took Anderson and other women a very long time to build a good report.
Another influential women during this time period was Susan B. Anthony. Anthony fought hard for women to gain the right to vote but ended up getting arrested. Outraged women refused to pay taxes until the taxes they were paying went to representatives they had voted on. However, this right was not given to women for a while.
For a long time, when women married a man, the husband practically owned their wife, children, crops, house, and goods. Men could send their wife and children away to a poorhouse (a poorhouse is similar to common day welfare programs except that poorhouse provided a shelter), and women could not object. Women were not fond of this law for obvious reasons, and they fought for their right so that they could hire a lawyer that helped women sue for some of the property and goods that their husbands would be taking away from them.
Marriages continued to treat women fairly. Throughout the 19th century, women slowly gained more ways to free themselves from a husband who did not treat them correctly. by 1857, women could divorce husbands who were cruel to them or husbands who were not present in the family. By 1891, no women was made to live with her husband unless that was her own desire. These changes may seem insignificant, but they later formed into rights that had a great impact on womens roles in society.
Even outside of marriages, women’s roles were changing. Women were bound to factory work, writing and teaching. Many women wanted to pursue careers in the medical field, but this was nearly impossible because in 1846 the American Medical Association barred women from membership. However, women did not simply give up. Since they could not study at “mens” medical colleges, they simply started their own schools, such as the Female Medical College of Pennsylvania. By the year of 1890, about five percent of total doctors in the United States were women.
Elizabeth Garrett Anderson was a women who wanted to be a doctor but to achieve this occupation she had to work extremely hard. She and other females who pursued careers in the medical field received a lot of negative feedback from all sorts of people. Even when women like Anderson did manage to find a medical job, it was hard to find anyone that would help her get a good medical review. Many people were terribly old fashioned and couldn’t accept a women doctor. It took Anderson and other women a very long time to build a good report.
Another influential women during this time period was Susan B. Anthony. Anthony fought hard for women to gain the right to vote but ended up getting arrested. Outraged women refused to pay taxes until the taxes they were paying went to representatives they had voted on. However, this right was not given to women for a while.