Women During The Enlightenment Essay

Words: 661
Pages: 3

Women had different impacts on their societies throughout different areas of the world in the 18th and 19th centuries. In some countries they had more power and a say in the governments than others. However, for the most part women were seen as inferior to men during this time period. In particular, women had different ranks and liberties in Europe, Asia, and America.
In Europe, women did not have much power in the government nor did they have a vote on government issues. However, as depicted during the Enlightenment women were seen as muses for the sciences. In fact, women who were wealthier hosted Salons in their living rooms to encourage conversation between philosophers during this time period. Women participated but not on the same level as the men. Philosophes actually wrote books for women in a dialogue manner to help them understand the meaning of the books. They even participated in some of the
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Some of them had more influence on their societies in helping with the Enlightenment as well as the economy as they began to work in the factories as they were cheap labor. In America, there were more attempts by women to gain their civil rights during this time period. In 1848, a group of women were angered by their exclusion from a meeting on antislavery and decided it was time to discuss women’s rights. The Women’s Rights convention in Seneca Falls, New York was were a group of women met and stated “We hold these truths to be self-evident; that all men and women are equal” (The Earth and its Peoples, page 651). The focus of this convention was mainly issues of economic independence and legal rights, but some women insisted for their right to vote. The progress towards equality for women was very slow in American as well as in Canada. In Canada for instance, they had to go to the United States for their training to become a doctor as they could not receive medical degrees in Canada until