The Women's Reform Movement

During the early 19th Century, a large portion of the women in society realized the oppression they were facing from men and their spouses. During the time, women were treated with very little respect and seen as worthless compared to men. Men were allowed to beat their wife at least once a month. Women were not allowed to speak in public. Women couldn't vote. Women were not allowed nearly half as much of a man's salary for teaching. In summary, women were treated as something less than human and not recognized as anything more. Men abused their wives physically and verbally with no punishment or justice from the law, getting away with the most absurd doings. There were different reactions to the idea of the Women's Reform, but many opposed it seeing it as a joke. In certain news paper articles, many patronized the idea and regarded it in a very condescending manner.

During the Seneca Falls Convention, A declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions was created that established many things and injustices that women felt were unfair to them. It was structured very similarly to the constitution and listed out things such as the idea that men have made women civilly dead, how they have the right to take all of a women's property, and many other things regarding the restriction of basic women's rights. Over time, women were eventually granted some freedoms to how they live their life and many unnecessary "restrictions" were lifted as well. However, women in the 21st Century are still seen as the inferior gender, simply because of the habits of the past that have carried on into today.

Today, women are viewed differently from men simply because of the idea that they were born as women. While a man making a compelling speech may seem persuasive, a woman making the exact same speech may seem as if they're nagging or complaining. It's a horrible habit that society has put upon itself that should change but most likely won't, since many people still disagree. The video below shows a few examples of what the difference of gender can do to a person's lifestyle.

Video Link

Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions Document

The Rights (Restrictions) of Women Document

Seneca Falls Convention