Article #45 - Equality of Women

            In endeavouring to produce an essay upon this question [equality of women], I am well aware that it will be utterly impossible for me to advance any thing new upon it, for it has been the theme of authours [sic] of the most acknowledged ability of either sex, who have presented it in every aspect that ingenuity and talent can devise. I shall therefore content myself, in a measure, by presenting in my own way the views and sentiments of others, and if in the course of my essay there shall be any thing thrown out which is new to a single individual I shall be satisfied. This reform, like all others (for it is a great and glorious reform in which the rights of of half of the human race are at issue) has been opposed by a party, that may be appropriately styled the stand still party, that are ever ready to hoot at anything new that may come up in the shape of reformation.

[The opponents of women’s rights are beginning to give way, showing their weakness by “a kind of guerrilla warfare by assailing its friends with ridicule...[and]...narrow minded trickery.”]

            The strongest and most important [reason] is the natural right that woman has to enjoy

equal rights with the opposite sex. She is posses[s]ed of the same noble faculties and the same feelings of humanity that constitute man a responsible being and give him a claim to self government. ‘Tis the posses[s]ion of reason which enables him to discriminate between right and wrong that elevates man above the brute creation and gives him power to be their lord and master and also to govern himself in whatever manner is best suited to his inclination. But may not woman claim the same right upon exactly similar grounds? Undoubtedly she may. If there was any thing in the organization of woman that disqualified her for properly discharging the civil

privileges and the duties incumbent upon them I should be the last to assent to their promotion. For it would then be clear that the creator never intended her for any such thing. If she had not been endowed with intelligence adequate to any enterprise in which it is necessary for humanity and justice to embark we might rationally conclude that the kitchen and dairy was the highest and

only position to which woman should aspire. But such is not the case. She is both in physical and mental organization similar to the males and is as capable of sustaining the dignity of human nature in whatever she undertakes, whether in the political or scientifick [sic] world. Can we

suppose for a moment that those noble which God has bestowed upon her were created for no object. And why no object. Has nature which has formed nothing in man departed from her universal laws in the formation of woman and given her faculties without assigning them any purpose? This cannot be supposed. It would be a stigma upon the wisdom and for[e]sight of God himself. No! She was formed for great and noble purposes how long then are the ends of her existence to be frustrated. How long is she to be dependent upon man? The day is certainly not far distant when she shall be elevated to that position in society to which her nature entitles her. I cannot conceive how any man who beli[e]ves in the great principles established by our patriotick [sic] ancestors of the revolution and advocating their secession from the English crown can consistently question the rights of the females to go the same length in obtaining that freedom

which is as dear to them as it was to our fathers and which they have the same natural and inalienable rights to enjoy. The revolution was not waged because the three cent tax on tea was so oppressive as not to be endured but there was a principle at stake. The English claimed the right of taxing the colonies without their consent this they resisted and insisted that taxation and representation must be inseperably [sic] connected. Hence arose the conflict and the final seperation from the mother country. But has not woman interests of the same nature to be legislated for in which she is as deeply interested as they and must she relinquish them to the tender mercies of the polotian [sic] of an opposite sex who if he were inclined to do them the strictest justice cannot fully comprehend the spring of action that would actuate woman if she were legislating for herself and is therefore incapable of fulfilling her requirements and wants. Just as much reason had King George to demand Americans to entrust themselves entirely to his

parental protection. But beside the inalienable right that woman posseses to enjoy the immunities of free citizens yet it would be fraught with much personal advantage to her to become the responsible agent in the drama of government. It would be advantage[ou]s to her in many ways. It would tend [to] elevate her character. The consciousness of being entrusted by the rival sex with a vote the dignity bestowed upon her would develop those the noble resourseces [sic] of her mind which have hitherto lain buried under the predudicial [sic] influence that has weighed them down. She would feel the necessity of fulfilling those expectations that had been formed of her. The necessity of a real substantial would become obvious. It would no longer be questioned whether woman ought to pursue the more useful and solid branches of Literature Science and

poloticks [sic] which alone can develop the mind. Her education would no longer be almost exclusively confined to that light and frivoulous [sic] kind which now characterize the female schools of the land such as musick [sic] dancing and embroidery but soon would there be introduced in its place that kind of instruction that would raise her to that rank in society to which her nature evidently entitles her and she would become intelligent and useful in every department of life. Then truly would she become the partner of man capable of understanding his troubles and of enabling him to overcome. Then would the training of the youth upon which the

welfare of a country, upon experienced and intelligent mothers who would fully understand what kind of instruction would be required for the youthful mind to make him a good and useful citizen.