Women's Rights In The 19th Century Essay

Words: 946
Pages: 4

Throughout the nineteenth century, women had few rights. They didn’t have property ownership rights, child custody favored men, divorces were uncommon. As a result, they were dependent on their husbands. Since they did not have the right to vote, it was hard for women to gain power and improve their lives. This lack of legal rights was addressed by many women, like Abigail Adams, the second First Lady and promoter of women’s rights. According to her, "if particular care and attention [was] not paid to the ladies [they] [were] determined to foment a rebellion, and [would] not hold [them]selves bound by any laws in which [they] have no voice, or representation." Her prediction that women would rebel, proved to be correct as women fought throughout the twentieth century for equality of gender. Women’s opportunities for education were extremely limited. In fact, the rate of …show more content…
As a result, many women resorted to prostitution in order to support themselves, as it was one of the few ways women could make money. By the end of the nineteenth century, approximately 20% of women participated in the labor force. This left most women to do traditional chores around the house and take care of the children, while their husbands earned a paycheck. Notably, women’s attire during the nineteenth century reflected their limited opportunities. Clothing was very conservative; they were covered up from their necks down to their feet. Women were physically restricted by their corsets, which were tied up so tight one could barely breath in them. The corset symbolized society’s restriction of women’s opportunities. However, circumstances of inequality started to change for women in the early twentieth century and likewise, their fashion changed dramatically. The evolution of women’s attire from the 1920s through the 1970s reflects women’s ongoing fight for equality through this