Mary Wollstonecraft A Vindication of the Rights of Woman

I. Biographical Background Mary Wollstonecraft (1759-1797) The Vindication was published in 1792 She opened a school, with her two sisters near London School goes bankrupt within a year

I. Biographical Background In 1786, published her first work: Thoughts on the Education of Daughters based on her experience with the school. In debt, she heads to Ireland and works as a governess to an artistocratic family (1786-1787) She’s dismissed, returns to England and takes up the traditional female jobs -- needlework, governess, teaching

I. Biographical Background Decides to take up writing, and produces a novel -- Mary, a Fiction published in 1788. Through her publisher she hooks up with a circle of leading radicals of the day -- Thomas Paine, William Godwin, Henry Fuseli, William Blake, In 1792, publishes the Vindication

I. Biographical Background In December 1792, she heads to Paris (during the revolution mind you) and starts work on Historical and Moral View of the Origin and Progress of the French Revolution (1794) Meets Gilbert Imlay, an American adventurer and entrepeneur, they marry and have a daughter (Fanny; in 1794)

I. Biographical Background In 1795 the couple returns to England The marriage hits the skids (largely due to Imlay’s infidelities). She attempts suicide Embarks on tour of Scandinavia with her daughter and a maid Trip becomes the basis of another book: Letters Written during a Short Residence in Denmark, Norway and Sweden

I. Biographical Background Returns to England, attempts suicide again Strikes up a relationship with William Godwin Begins working on a second novel -- The Wrongs of Woman; or, Maria And, pregnant with her second child, she marries Godwin (caused quite a scandal at the time)

I. Biographical Background Gives birth to her second daughter -- Mary 11 days later she dies from a fever contracted during childbirth Mary Godwin eventually becomes Mary Shelley And is probably known to you folks as the author of Frankenstein

II. Woman in the World “In the government of the physical world it is observable that the female in point of strength is, in general, inferior to the male. This is the law of nature; and it does not appear to be suspended or abrogated in favor of woman.” -- Introduction Vindication of the Rights of Woman

II. Woman in the World “...there is little reason to fear that women will acquire too much courage or fortitude; for their apparent inferiority with respect to bodily strength, must render them, in some degree, dependent on men in the various relations of life; but why should it be increased by prejudices that give a sex to virtue, and confound simple truths with sensual reveries? (Introduction)

II. Woman in the World But then does that imply that rather than a “human” nature we have gender specific natures? In other words, do we have 2 human natures -- one male, one female?

II. Woman in the World “I wish to sum up what I have said in a few words, for I here throw down my gauntlet, and deny the existence of sexual virtues, not excepting modesty. For man and woman, truth, if I understand the meaning of the word, must be the same...

II. Place of Woman in the World “yet the fanciful female character, so prettily drawn by poets and novelists, demanding the sacrifice of truth and sincerity, virtue becomes a relative idea, having no other foundation than utility, and of that utility men pretend arbitrarily to judge, shaping it to their own convenience.”

II. Woman in the World “Women, I allow, may have different duties to fulfill; but they are human duties, and the principles that should regulate the discharge of them, I sturdily maintain, must be the same”

II. Woman in the World And should that natural inferiority in strength translate into broader social and political inferiority? What is the source of the inferior status of women in society?

II. Woman in the World “Nature, or, to speak with strict propriety, God, has made all things right; but man has sought him out many inventions to mar the work.”

II. Place of Woman in the World For Wollstonecraft, building on Rousseau, the problem is not in nature but in the artificial relations we create -- or more accurately -- men create and women endure.

II. Woman in the World “It would be an endless task to trace the variety of meanness, cares, and sorrows, into which women are plunged by the prevailing opinion, that they were created rather to feel than reason, and that all the power they obtain must be obtained by their charms and weakness...”

II. Woman in the World In other words, “prevailing opinion” or the ways in which we choose to organize our social relations dictates the treatment of women -- and the way in which women see themselves in the society.

II. Place of Woman in the World But what’s to be gained by women’s liberation and how do we secure it?

III. Women and Politics “Would men but generously snap [off] our chains, and be content with rational fellowship instead of slavish obedience, they would find us more observant daughters, more affectionate sisters, more faithful wives, more reasonable mothers-- in a word, better citizens...”

III. Women and Politics “We should then love them with true affection, because we should learn to respect ourselves; and the peace of mind of a worthy man would not be interrupted by the idle vanity of his wife...”

III. Women and Politics But how do we achieve this? Given the source of the inequality, what is the solution to establishing equality?

III. Women and Politics Education!

III. Women and Politics “I follow truth, and, still adhering to my first position, I will allow that bodily strength seems to give man a natural superiority over woman...

III. Women and Politics “But I still insist, that not only the virtue, but the knowledge of the two sexes should be the same in nature, if not in degree, and that women, considered not only as moral, but rational creatures, ought to endeavour to acquire human virtues (or perfections) by the same means as men, instead of being educated like a fanciful kind of half being...” [emphasis in original]

III. Women and Politics In other words, we need to educate our women the same way we educate our men -- developing the innate rational abilities of the sex

Political Equality “I long to hear that you have declared an independency -- and by the way in the new Code of Laws which I suppose it will be necessary for you to make I desire you would Remember the Ladies, and be more generous and favorable to them than your ancestors.” -- Abigail Adams (31 March 1776)

Political Equality “As to your extraordinary Code of Laws, I cannot but laugh. ... Depend upon it, We know better than to repeal our Masculine systems. Altho they are in full Force, you know they are little more than Theory...”

Political Equality “We are the subjects. We have only the Name of Masters, and rather than give up this, which would compleatly subject Us to the Despotism of the Peticoat, I hope General Washington, and all our brave Heroes would fight.” -- John Adams (14 April 1776)

Political Equality Nonetheless, in 1776, at the drafting of the Declaration, women could vote in: Massachusetts New Hampshire New York New Jersey

Political Equality In 1777, women lose the right to vote in New York In 1780 women lose the right to vote in Massachusetts In 1784 women lose the right to vote in New Hampshire

Political Equality The Constitution left voting qualifications to the states After ratification, no state except for New Jersey allowed women to vote

Political Equality In 1807, Women lost the right to vote in New Jersey No women were allowed to vote in the country

Political Equality 1848 Seneca Falls Women’s Rights Convention Adopt “Declaration of Sentiments”

Political Equaltiy In 1869, Wyoming (then a territory) granted women the right to vote In 1870, Utah (then a territory) granted women the right to vote (they lose it again in 1887) In 1886, women’s suffrage amendment is defeated (by a 2 to 1 margin) in Congress

Political Equality In 1893, Colorado gives women the right to vote In 1895, women in Utah regain right to vote In 1896 Idaho grants women right to vote

Political Equality Other western states begin to extend women’s suffrage, either in general or for specific elections (e.g., presidential elections) 1910 (Washington) 1911 (California) 1912 (Arizona, Kansas, Oregon)

Political Equality 19th Amendment (1920) Approved by House in 1918 Approved by Senate in 1919

Political Equality Equal Rights Amendment First introduced in Committee in 1924 Introduced every Congress until 1972, when finally passed and sent to states for ratification

THE EQUAL RIGHTS AMENDMENT Political Equality THE EQUAL RIGHTS AMENDMENT Section 1. Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex. Section 2. The Congress shall have the power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article. Section 3. This amendment shall take effect two years after the date of ratification.

Political Equality Failed to be ratified (fell 3 states short) in 1982 Reintroduced every Congress since then SJ Res. 10 (Sen. Ted Kennedy, D-Ma) HJ Res. 40 (Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D- NY)

Political Equality “Strict” vs. “Intermediate” Scrutiny of Discrimination Discrimination is permissible if it is substantially related to an important state interest Court does not view gender discrimination with the same critical eye as it does racial discrimination

Political Equality Goesaert v. Cleary (1948) Upholds Oklahoma law making it illegal for women to tend bar unless they were the daughter or wife of the bar owner

Political Equality Goesaert v. Cleary (1948) Upholds Oklahoma law making it illegal for women to tend bar unless they were the daughter or wife of the bar owner intermediate scrutiny

Political Equality Craig v. Boren (1976) Court invalidates an Oklahoma law that prohibited the sale of 3.1% beer (“non- intoxicating beer”) to males under the age of twenty-one and to women under the age of 18.

Political Equality Craig v. Boren (1976) Basically spells the end of most forms of discrimination based on gender Very few reasons for gender discrimination stand up to the “intermediate” scrutiny test

Political Equality Since 1980s the Court has upheld a relatively small number of areas with gender classifications as permissible including: differential pricing (if it promotes business) statuatory rape laws insurance rates

Economic Equality Equal Pay Act (1963) Equal compensation for equal work Does not address “comparable” work issue women earn $0.76 for every $1.00 men work 2008 occupation data 2008 industry data