...The women’s rights movement was a huge turning point for women because they had succeeded in the altering of their status as a group and changing their lives of countless men and women. Gender, Ideology, and Historical Change: Explaining the Women’s Movement was a great chapter because it explained and analyzed the change and causes of the women’s movement. Elaine Tyler May’s essay, Cold War Ideology and the Rise of Feminism and Women’s Liberation and Sixties Radicalism by Alice Echols both gave important but different opinions and ideas about the women’s movement. Also, the primary sources reflect a number of economic, cultural, political, and demographic influences on the women’s movement. This chapter really explains how the Cold War ideologies, other protests and the free speech movements occurring during this time helped spark the rise or the women’s right’s movements. In Cold War Ideology and the Rise of Feminism by Elaine Tyler May, May examines the impact of political changes on American families, specifically the relationship of a Cold War ideology and the ideal of domesticity in the 1960s. May believed that with security as the common thread, the Cold War ideology and the domestic revival reinforced each other. Personal adaption, rather than political resistance, characterized the era. However, postwar domesticity never fully delivered on its promises because the baby-boom children who grew up in suburban homes abandoned the containment ethos when...
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...Thematic Essay Practice – Reform Movements US History/Napp Name: __________________ From the August 2004 New York States Regents/ U.S. History & Government THEMATIC ESSAY QUESTION Directions: Write a well-organized essay that includes an introduction, several paragraphs addressing the task below, and a conclusion. Theme: Reform Movements Task: Some suggestions you might wish to consider include the abolitionist movement, Populist movement, Progressive movement, women’s rights movement, civil rights movement, and the labor movement. Gathering the Facts: 1- The Abolitionist Movement • “The goal of the abolitionist movement was the immediate emancipation of all slaves and the end of racial discrimination and segregation. • Advocating for immediate emancipation distinguished abolitionists from more moderate anti-slavery advocates who argued for gradual emancipation, and from free-soil activists who sought to restrict slavery to existing areas and prevent its spread further west. • Radical abolitionism was partly fueled by the religious fervor of the Second Great Awakening, which prompted many people to advocate for emancipation on religious grounds. • Abolitionist ideas became increasingly prominent in Northern churches and politics beginning in the 1830s, which contributed to the regional animosity between North and South leading up to the...
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...Primary Response Paper: Looking Backward 11/4/2013 Edward Bellamy’s Looking Backward (2000-1887) When Edward Bellamy wrote his book Looking Backward (1887), he wasn’t trying to be part of the political scene but to merely write a fantasy novel. What came after the publication of his novel was the creation of more than 160 Nationalist-clubs, most notably Clubs that were advocating women suffrage. Edward Bellamy was seen by some as a male feminist who exfoliated the capitalist industrial movement of that time and wanted to paint a picture of a socialist utopia where everything was state owned and equally distributed. His book was not intended to be a blueprint for a political movement. I have to note that I did not read the book but various essays on the book and its impact on women suffrage. I feel that the book was written at a crucial time and although it wasn’t asking questions, it sparked a new way of thinking how society should be run. I believe we are all made equal and that everyone has a role in the development, upkeep and sustainability of society. Edward Bellamy’s had the same idea in mind in terms of equal distribution of labor and benefits. I will discuss what women suffrage is and the impact the book had. Women’s suffrage movement was a key issue in the 19th century around the world. Women were confined to their homes with duties that were given to them by their biology. They were seen as fragile and emotional so their role in society was limited to child...
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...author, feminist, essayist and critic, was born on January 25th, 1882 to Sir Leslie Stephen, the editor of Dictionary of National Biography, and Madam Julia Prinsep Stephen, a nurse who published a book on nursing. Virginia’s maiden name was Adeline Virginia Woolf. She grew up in an atmosphere conducive to her future career as a writer since her father, Leslie Stephen, was a respected and well-known intellectual and writer. Although she was not sent to a university as her brothers, she was able to educate herself thoroughly by delving into the volumes of her father's vast library. Woolf grew up during a period of intense feminist activity in London and was an active member of various women's organizations. By the time she came into her own as a writer, significant advances had been made in women's rights. By 1918, a limited franchise had been granted to women in England. During the interwar period, Woolf was a significant figure in London literary society and a member of the Bloomsbury Group. Her mother’s sudden death in 1885 and that of Stella, her sister whom she looked up to as a mother were the catalysts for Virginia’s mental breakdown. Modern scholars have suggested that her mental breakdown and subsequent recurring depression were as a result of the sexual abuse which she and her sister Vanessa were subjected to by their half brothers, George and Gerald Duckworth. Virginia married Leonard Woolf, a journalist, in 1912 and they collaborated professionally and founded Hogarth...
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...female figure is at once central and alienated. The following annotated bibliography features articles about the writings of Mary Wollstonecraft by Steven Blakemore, Maria J. Falco, Cindy L. Griffin, and Vivian Jones. Three of the four authors take a feminist approach: Falco provides a collection of feminist critiques of Wollstonecraft’s work; Griffin asserts that Wollstonecraft is the first author to write about an alienation from the perspective of women’s issues and rights; and Jones’s essay comments on the sexualizing of the historical narrative by Helen Maria Williams and Mary Wollstonecraft. Blakemore provides a different approach, examining Miltonic references in Vindications of the rights of woman. References (Blakemore S 1992 Rebellious reading: the doubleness of Wollstonecraft's subversion of Paradise Lost)Blakemore, S. (1992). Rebellious reading: the doubleness of Wollstonecraft's subversion of Paradise lost. Texas Studies in Literature and Language, 34, 451-80. Blakemore’s article is a close reading of the Miltonic references in Wollstonecraft’s Vindication of the rights of woman. His argument centers on the proposition that during the revolutionary period writers attempted to subvert texts which “stressed the satanic dangers of epistemological curiosity” (p. 451). However, he feels that Wollstonecraft’s use of Milton rebounds on her in such a way as to render the technique virtually useless. The focus of this argument is Wollstonecraft’s refiguring of Eve as a feminist...
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...The Big Question How did Americans challenge the rigid social expectations that characterized the early Cold War period? What was the relationship between domestic changes of the 1960s and the US's changing foreign policy? Section 1: Short Answer (30 points) Write multi-sentence responses for the prompts below. Be specific and give examples from the history we have learned. A. Read the statement below and then analyze what it is saying about being a young person in the United States in the 1960’s. Use these questions to help you write a commentary of 3-5 sentences: (10 points) * What events and changes in American society does the writer refer to? * How is this document an example of the ‘youth culture’ at the time? "When we were kids the United States was the wealthiest and strongest country in the world; the only one with the atom bomb. . . . As we grew, however, our comfort was penetrated [filled] by events too troubling to dismiss [forget about]. . . . The Southern struggle against racial bigotry [racism], compelled [took] most of us from silence to activism. Second . . . the Cold War, symbolized by the presence of the Bomb, brought awareness that we ourselves, and our friends, and millions of abstract "others" . . . might die at any time." —Port Huron Statement, Students for a Democratic Society The writer is referring to how America changed as he grew up. He grew up during a time when America was the wealthiest nation, but there was racism in the south...
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...The idea of human rights is something that has long been discussed and defined, and that is still being discussed today, whether at the Capitol, on the nightly news or in line at the grocery store. The most basic definition of the term “human rights” would be somewhere along the lines of “people are equal and entitled to certain rights.” The reason for such debate lies in defining what exactly those rights should be, and who should be entitled to them. In the 1859, John Stuart Mill, an English philosopher, proposed that there are three basic human rights: the freedom of expression, the freedom of assembly, and the freedom to act as long as those actions do not harm others. While this concept sounds simplistic now, this was a controversial...
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...exception. hooks engages with a wide variety of problems and approaches to “education as the practice of freedom.” Her essays exposed the degree to which our traditional system of education reproduces and sustains structural inequalities. Equally important, these essays offered new ways of thinking about pedagogy, and new strategies for creating a liberatory classroom. The only major downfall I saw in this volume is that the essays often repeated themselves. hooks acknowledges as much in her introduction, saying that since she wrote each essay separately, a certain degree of overlap exists in the collection. I would perhaps recommend that readers space out the essays rather than attempting to digest them all at once; this will allow readers to digest her thoughts before moving on, and will help them avoid becoming frustrated by these overlaps. hooks states that she intends these essays to be “celebratory” (10), and indeed I found that the experience of reading them was often a joyful one. The degree to which she loves teaching and connects with her students is incredibly inspiring. Teaching to Transgress has earned a permanent place on my bookshelf; I anticipate that I will turn to it often as I begin to teach students and create my own pedagogical style. Intro: Teaching to Transgress bell hooks ushers the reader into her collection of essays with a description of the various pedagogies that informed her own education. First, she presents us with the exciting...
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...African American men finally gained the right to vote, but where did that leave women? Fredrick Douglass and Elizabeth Cady Stanton were two important writers dedicated to the cause of gaining the right to vote. Although their struggles were similar in nature, the difference between gaining suffrage for all races, and gaining suffrage for both sexes raised arguments between what should have been a collaborative force. In Fredrick Douglass’ essay “Learning to Read and Write” and Elizabeth Cady Stanton’s essay “Declaration of Sediments and Resolutions” there were significant shared literally binaries. First off is the underlying factor Civilized v. Uncivilized. This is relevant to the argument because they both are considered uncivilized so they can’t vote. Secondly, Mental Darkness v. Education. Douglass wasn’t able to be educated because he was a slave to a white family and it was looked down upon for him to be educated. Stanton was a woman therefore she was seen by society as less intelligent even though she wasn’t. Third is Depravity v. Innocence. Both of them were being treated wrongly by someone above them and both of them were innocent in the situations. Lastly is Equal v. Unequal. They are both equally unequal to a white males, so, as stated in the constitution, they were not able to vote. All of these things proved to be sufficient arguments against both African Americans and women against their suffrage. Stanton in her essay says, “He has compelled her to submit to...
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...Merrick Burrows 27.11.2015 This essay seeks to discuss, compare and contrast two preferred sources that carried out a critique of Ann Bronte’s, the tenant of wildfell hall. In order to compile a factually based discussion, a key area needed to be focused on, namely, how social changes affected the gender roles in the early 18th century (1832-48). Furthermore detailing how the change challenged traditions and ideologies of the then rather prominent English common law, and the normative principle’s that surrounded motherhood. The Critical sources that bear the utmost relevance to the challenging social content that the tenant demonstrated are Monica Hope Lee’s essay a mother outlaw vindicated: social critique in Ann Bronte’s the tenant of wildfell hall. Nineteenth century gender studies. (4.3), 1-12. And chapter 2 from, Macdonald, T (2015) the new man, masculinity and marriage in the Victorian novel. London: Routledge. Both critics, attempt to dichotomise the tenant of wildfell hall in order to get representative discourse that outlines the social changes in question, moreover they seek to disclose how Bronte summarises her own personal perception of gender ideals in the regency culture, and how she displays openness and vision, as opposed to becoming a shrinking wall flower hidden in the shadows of sporadic sunlight, with a masked existence, and blind endemic to the upper-class hierarchies of society. Furthermore they offer an insight in to how the shift in social position and...
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...men resulted in many women staying in the private sphere unwillingly, unequal pay compared to similar jobs done by men, and few socially acceptable career options for women, causing them to fight these injustices legally in courts and participating in strikes and protests. On average, women received inferior education when compared to men, which prevented many women from becoming skilled workers; therefore, women claimed that the education system needed reforms due to the lack of equality. As a significant Antebellum reform movement, abolitionism attracted many women, which in turn caused them to reflect upon their own similarities with slaves and encouraged themselves to combat the social transgression...
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...including industrialization, the rise of powerful corporations, the growth of cities and the mass arrivals of immigrants. This period was known as the Progressive Era. Two major historical turning points that took place during this time were (1) Women earned the right to vote and (2) Education. Women Suffrage The early 1900s saw a successful push for the vote through a coalition of suffragists, temperance groups, reform-minded politicians, and women's social-welfare organizations. Although Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton devoted 50 years to the woman's suffrage movement, neither lived to see women gain the right to vote. But their work and that of many other suffragists contributed to the ultimate passage of the 19th amendment in 1920. Two groups that contributed to the passage of the 19th amendment the women organizations the National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA), founded in 1890, and the National Women’s Party (NWP), founded in 1913 and led by Alice Paul. Alice Paul and other women of the National Women's Party picketed the White House. They wanted then President Woodrow Wilson to support a Constitutional amendment giving all American women suffrage, or the right to vote. Women gained voting right in the west before the east and south and many wonder why. I believe it was because of money and development the powers that be were interested in getting the women votes to help them control development by supporting their agenda in congress, in other words...
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...The Progressive Era was a time period of great change that took place between 1885-1920. The Era was an opportunity given to individuals to succeed. During The Progressive Era there were two groups involved in regulating social and political problems known as the muckrackers and the new middle class. The muckrackers were journalist who exposed corruption in the government and spoke about the truth behind everything in society. The progressive’s goals were to stop the abuse of power, labor laws, suffrages, the corruption of the government and its abuse of power. Progressive’s established settlement houses to improve the living conditions for the poor. They provided a large amount of activities such as education, medical help, nurseries, playgrounds and plenty more. If this wouldn’t of occurred then we wouldn’t have the support we do now from the government with affordable housing, welfare, public schools, and library. The fact we have public school is important because it provides us with the knowledge skills needed to pursue our career. This made a huge impact because schools expanded and states began to pass laws requiring children to attend school until the age of 14. This helped produce a better life for the future. It provided students with options as to what fields they want to study and gave them opportunities to become professionals. Muckrackers exposed corruption in the government and a change was needed in the society. Government was abusing its power with scandals...
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...Sarah Moore Grimke and Fredrick Douglass: A Fight for Rights America is the land of the free, but without abolitionists fighting for such freedom, there is no America. This essay is a comparison between Fredrick Douglass and Sarah Moore Grimke and how they fought for African American and women’s rights respectively. Fredrick Douglass was born into a life of slavery, but he learned to read and after a few attempts, escaped. He started out as an agent of the Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society and from then, wrote books and newspapers promoting the cause. He later became a consultant of Abraham Lincoln. Sarah Grimke, on the other hand, grew up in as a daughter of a plantation owner. She had high goals and expectations but her family shot them down. Sarah and her sister fought for slavery and sexism and were expelled from the plantation. They were among the first to fight for women’s rights. Back in the 1800s, African Americans were slaves and treated like property. They were whipped, overworked, starved, and had no freedom. They were denied education and shot if trying to escape. On the other hand, women had very little rights. They were simply housewives who looked after the children. They were not allowed to aspire to anything and forced to simply support the husband. Back then, the worst person to be was an African American female. Some females were chosen as breeding moms and raped repeatedly to bear children to sell. If not, the master would call some women in...
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...somewhat a depression, and she secluded herself from the other children. Walker felt like she was no longer a little girl because of the traumatic experience she had undergone, and she was filled with shame because she thought she was unpleasant to look at. During this seclusion from other kids of her age, Walker began to write poems. Hence, her career as a writer began. Walker found the love of her life in 1967, a white activist civil rights lawyer named Mel Leventhal, and they married him in 1967. A year later she gave birth to their daughter, Rebecca. It was not until she began teaching that her writing career really took off. She began teaching at Jackson State, then Tougaloo, and finally at Wellesley College. Walker was involved in the Civil Rights Movement and spoke for the women’s movement, the anti-apartheid movement, for the anti-nuclear movement, and against female genital mutilation. She also started her own publishing company: “The Wild Trees Press”, in 1984. Walker refused to ignore the tangle of personal and political themes and produced five novels, two collections of short stories, numerous volumes of poetry, and two books of essays that address such issues. She won fame and recognition in many countries but did not lose her sense of rootedness in the South. She also recognized her mother as showing her the...
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