The struggle for women’s rights and abolition were intricately linked movements of the 19th century. Professor Kelton, in fact, has argued that the former was, in many ways, an unintended consequence of the latter. It is of major importance to analyze numerous concepts that shaped attitudes to women and people of color in an exclusive democracy to give a comprehensive description of the links that were created between the movements.
It is generally believed that the American Revolution was not solely a political revolution but also a social one. It ensured the transition of some of the power not from one elite to another, but rather from elite to broad masses. Was it the original objective of the people who led the revolution? They, arguably, did not seek the promotion of universal rights; their main goal was to create a new state, independent from the British. Nevertheless, after succeeding in doing so, they realized that the numerous troops consisting of ordinary white men were desperate in their desire to have a wide range of rights. Therefore, the rights that are listed in the first fundamental documents released by US authorities were granted to a certain group of people.
The regime, which was created as a result of the American Revolution, was a highly exclusive kind of democracy, where only white males fully enjoyed the rights which have long been considered the cornerstone of American society (Kelton, lecture, October 28, 2020). Moreover, this historic episode shows that a wide range of rights is rarely granted to people solely because it feels fair. In most cases, people need to show the importance of their contribution to economic activity or military campaigns and fight for their rights to get them.
Nevertheless, all ordinary white men, either native-born or naturalized, were finally given the right to vote. Therefore, they could actively participate in legislation processes, directly influence the nation’s fate, and shape society’s atmosphere. At the same time, white Protestant women did not enjoy even a small portion of the freedom that their husbands did. Neither recent immigrants nor people of color and indigenous peoples could have some portion of the rights native-born white males had.
Andrew Jackson did his utmost to remove indigenous nations from the territories they have been living in for centuries (Kelton, lecture, October 28, 2020). Therefore, a significant number of future American citizens had to leave their homelands. These people fought in various ways to defend their territory, and some of them, such as the Cherokee, even managed to draw international attention and made such an attitude a truly global issue.
At the same time, emancipation processes began in the North, where certain activists started to raise the issues of gender equality and slavery (Kelton, lecture, October 28, 2020). Slavery was increasingly seen and, what is more important, openly referred to as a terrible sin. Moreover, many educated people started questioning the meaning behind the initial phrases used in the Declaration of Independence and argued that the rights mentioned in their documents are to be given to all people. Moreover, they claimed that excluding certain groups of people from political processes seriously undermines the core of the nation’s democratic institutions. What is more, some phenomena, such as slavery, were called antagonistic to the very idea of human rights. Political processes in Europe and the development of certain theories led to promoting universal human rights as the main legislative tool that should be used to ensure harmony and progress in any society. People, in general, tended to neglect some principles of Jacksonian democracy.
Women used to work hard alongside men when a great part of the population relied on farming. Growing vegetables, making clothes, cooking meals, and raising children had to be performed by females. Nevertheless, the technological revolution led to massive migration from rural areas to cities. Moreover, the middle class started to emerge rapidly, which led to certain alterations in the perception of women in society. The idea of Domesticity became a prevailing concept used for explaining the role of females in society. The man worked long hours in offices, and the chances of eventually becoming an affluent person increased dramatically. One of the ways to show high social status was to free the wife from the necessity to work and even perform most household tasks. Such women were generally expected to dedicate all their time to being moral and instilling certain values in children. What is more, women were seen as the core of any successful republic, according to the concept of the Republican Motherhood, as the influence they had on their children helped the nation to maintain its core values.
Nevertheless, women who had to toil at factories after moving to cities substantially outnumbered middle-class women. Therefore, a large demographic group was virtually mocked by a small group of affluent women. Some scholars argue that the suffrage movement was initiated due to several factors, including the tension between various classes. Most women had to be completely obedient at home, which was also exacerbated by poor living conditions. Therefore, the future suffrage movement was widely supported by women not only because they wanted to be heard but also because many females could do nothing to get themselves out of poverty and even a generally hostile environment.
The Grimké sisters played an enormous role in initiating women’s rights. Nevertheless, their original objective was different and reflected the atmosphere in which they were brought up. The Grimké sisters were born into an affluent family of slaveowners. Numerous episodes of hostility and awful treatment made them consider fighting slavery by using their privileged position (Sklar, “Angelina Grimké” in Women’s Rights Emerges within the Anti-Slavery Movement, p. 86). They made numerous attempts to speak publicly on the issue but were rarely given such an opportunity. Although their experience with slavery and the examples they provided could be extremely useful, the abolitionist organizations tended to prohibit their active participation in public discussions.
They were not alone in their attempts to encourage more women to get involved in the abolitionist movement. Lucretia Mott and Elizabeth Stanton, for instance, advocated for more radical approaches to the struggle to abolish slavery (Kelton, lecture, October 28, 2020). These women were also refused multiple times to speak out on such issues, which always sparked heated debates within the country. They were mocked and made fun of in the newspapers, which only further infuriated them. Nevertheless, such an attitude to all these brave women made them realize the real methods that were needed to fight slavery. In order to openly discuss political and social issues, they needed to get certain political rights. Their ultimate goal was the right to vote, which was pinpointed in the name of the future movement. From the beginning, “suffrage” pointed at their determination to ensure that all women have the right to vote.
All these early activists actually utilized the concept of Domesticity. They argued that women should be present in public life and take part in the decision-making process, as their virtues and morality always allowed for a more ethical and compassionate approach. Moreover, they claimed that their morality could help fight crime, corruption, heavy drinking, and many other widespread issues in the capitalist system of the 19th century.
Many women involved in the movement emphasized the idea that education was, arguably, the most efficient tool in promoting universal human rights. Most women did not have the opportunity to get a proper education, which could allow for a comprehensive understanding of one’s political rights and current social issues. Whereas those women who enjoyed the privilege of getting an education did not always actively participate in public life, as they were discouraged from doing so or even did not want to be involved in it themselves. Nancy Cott insisted that the oppression of women was not the only problem. Active participation was needed to encourage more women of any background to become involved in the struggle, as reluctance to contribute and speak out undermined the efforts.
Understanding the connection between the anti-slavery movement and the women’s suffrage movement is instrumental in realizing the core of both movements. Many prominent participants of the women’s suffrage movement started as abolitionist movement activists. Just like the above-mentioned Grimké sisters, Susan B. Anthony was a compassionate young woman from the Quaker community who decided to contribute to the fight against slavery. She started doing it at the age of 17 by establishing several societies, like Lucretia Mott and Elizabeth Stanton, after being prevented from speaking at a conference solely because she was female. Susan B. Anthony sought to promote the inclusion of the word “gender” in the 14th and 15th amendments (Kelton, lecture, October 28, 2020). Another thirty years of organizing were required to achieve the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment, which guaranteed women’s right to vote in 1920 (Sklar, “Founding of the National Woman Suffrage Association: New York, 1869” in Women’s Rights Emerges within the Anti-Slavery Movement, p. 204).
The growing discontent with the white male privilege in an exclusive democracy led to the cooperation of various social groups and numerous links between the organizations that basically fought for universal human rights. Just like with the American Revolution, human rights were not the primary objective; nevertheless, the women who initially fought against slavery realized that promoting universal human rights is the key to the successful implementation of the much-needed changes.
References
Kelton, Paul. 2020. “Women’s Suffrage Movement”. Lecture. Web.
Sklar, Kathryn Kish. 2019. Women’s Rights Emerges within the Anti-Slavery Movement, 1830-1870: A Short History with Documents. 2nd ed. New York: Bedford/St. Martin’s.