Introducing Feminism

Grimké insisted that if women united in petitioning for their rights, it would be impossible for Congress to ignore them.

MEN WHO HOLD THE ROD OVER SLAVES, RULE IN THE COUNCILS OF THE NATION: AND THEY DENY OUR RIGHT TO PETITION AND TO REMONSTRATE AGAINST ABUSES OF OUR SEX AND OUR KIND.

make their voices heard by writing petitions to Congress.

by 1920, their goals had diverged, reflecting women’s varied needs and experiences.

First Wave Feminism

reason as opposed to faith to discover any truth about our existence

Finding things out individually rather than unquestioningly following tradition was the Enlightenment’s practice of free enquiry

Social activity and philosophical writing on women was founded on either of these ways of thinking, although many writers often used a combination of both.

Individualism’s respect for human rights and its dismissive attitude towards sex-linked qualities

As a social planner, Wright stands apart from many of her contemporaries for being particularly concerned with the plight of the working class. She advocated abolition, universal education, birth control and equal rights for women.