- Published: September 14, 2022
- Updated: September 14, 2022
- University / College: Loyola University Chicago
- Language: English
- Downloads: 9
In the middle of the 18th century, women empowerment was greatly demonstrated through boycotts and uprisings. Not only women from the lower class suffered, but women from the middle class suffered as well. Lower class women who were working in factories would work the same amount as their male counterparts, get constantly mistreated and would still get paid lower than men.
Middle class women had to always listen to their husband and never go against them. There were a lot of stereotypes between the freedom of men and women. Because of these stereotypes, this caused women to rebel and most women were very well aware of their subordinate status in their community and applied several feminist movements.
One women who showed high representation of women empowerment was Abigail Adams. Abigail was the wife of president John Adams and had five children. Since she was married to the president, she was always left alone at the house taking care of all her five children as well as their farm. Since her husband was hardly home, she got very bored doing the same activities everyday. Abigail indicated many concerns, through a letters to her husband, about women and how they are being treated in society.
Abigail wrote several letters to her husband, but one of her letters stated that ” Remember the Ladies, and be more generous and favourable to them than your ancestors. Do not put such unlimited power into the hands of the Husbands. Remember all Men would be tyrants if they could. If perticuliar care and attention is not paid to the Laidies we are determined to foment a Rebelion, and will not hold ourselves bound by any Laws in which we have no voice, or Representation.”
He letter was one of the first steps to to fight for women’s rights and freedom. She exclaims that men should not have all the power in their homes because they would all become oppressors. Abigail also told her husband that if women did not get equal rights, they would rebel and not pursue the laws where they had no voice or representation in. Lastly, she emphasized the fact that John Adams needs to remember the rights of women when the Declaration of Independence was being written.
