CH. 8-3 WOMEN AND REFORM

AMERICAN HISTORY

LIMITS ON WOMEN’S LIVES A combination of legal, economic, and

cultural factors limited what American women could do and achieve in the early 1800s

LEGAL LIMITS Women COULD NOT vote, hold public

office, enter into legal contracts (except marriage)

If married women with children divorced, custody was awarded to the father

ECONOMIC LIMITS Married women were not allowed to own

property, such as land or buildings. Household goods were owned by the

husband Women worked for low wages Women’s wages were the property of

the husband Single women were expected to turn

their wages over to their families

CULTURAL LIMITS Women, most men believed, should

attend only to household and family duties—and to their husbands

“A women’s place was in the home” CULT OF DOMESTICITY—Books and

magazines praised the virtues of women staying at home, caring for their families, and obeying their husbands

WOMEN IN THE REFORM ERA Despite limits, American women took the

lead in reshaping life in the nation All reform movements were rooted to some

degree in the Second Great Awakening

REFORM SOCIETIES Reform Societies were groups that were

organized to promote social reforms Tens of Thousands of women joined groups

throughout the Northeast

Moral reform—promote good behavior Women would visit poor neighborhoods,

almshouses, jails, etc. Provide religious instruction Homes were established for orphaned

girls, homeless young women, and others

EDUCATION REFORM Catharine Beecher ran school for women

—The Hartford Female Seminary

Beecher worked to create normal schools and to send teachers out west to educate frontier children

Oberlin College (OH)—first college to admit men and women in 1833

1837—First Women’s college—Mount Holyoke College(MA)—Mary Lyon

OTHER REFORMS Urban reforms implemented largely

by female reform societies 1850—225,000 women at work in

mills and factories

THE SENECA FALLS CONVENTION Held July 1848 in Seneca Falls, NY First women’s rights convention in

USA

A DESIRE FOR POLITICAL POWER Women fought for many types of reform

but were limited by governmental rules and regulations

THE CONVENTION Seneca Falls Convention organized by

Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott Stanton and Mott attended World Anti-

Slavery Convention in London in 1840

Lucretia Mott and Henry Stanton were official delegates

Mott couldn’t participate in debates because she was a woman.

Seneca Falls Convention was attended by about 300 people

“Declaration of Sentiments”—written by Stanton

“All men and women are created equal” The struggle for equality had begun The End