Mary Wollstonecraft's Declaration Of The Rights Of Women

The French Revolution introduced the western world to many enlightened ideas, by inverting societal and global conventions. These enlightened ideals applied to all white-Christian-men. In pursuit of liberty and equality, France’s National Assembly implemented the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizens, in 1789 (Perry, 100). This made all men equal under the law, transitioned into a secular nation by weakening clergy's hold on daily life, eliminated a monarchy, and established a governmental body that served to create a democratic parliamentary country. However, in this new revolutionized country, women did not find advancement easily. Like religious and ethnic minorities, women were forced to argue for their own equality. Through

This influenced the English writer Mary Wollstonecraft to publish her own declaration, A Vindication of the Rights of Women, in 1792. In which, she argued for the necessity of women to be strong, intelligent, and independent in order for France to truly be the enlightened republic it aimed to become. A position bolstered by her own visit to France from 1792 to 1794 (Perry, 102). Wollstonecraft believed that women could not be independent or contributing members of society without access to some form of education. Frustrated by the a lack of improvement for women Wollstonecraft wrote, "... the neglected education of my fellow-creatures is the grand source of misery I deplore… women, in particular, are rendered weak and wretched..." (Perry, 102). In addition, she argued that a lack of intellect was not the cause of inequality for women, but a result of hurdles put in place by a patriarchal society; “…the grand source of female Folly and vice has ever appeared to me to rise from narrowness of Mind; and the Very constitution of

She likened this hypocrisy, “ …[the] tyrants of every denomination, from the week King to the week father of a family; they are all eager to crush reason, yet always assert that they usurp its Throne only to be useful. Do you not act a similar part when you force all women, by denying them civil and political rights, to remain in immured [imprisoned], in their families groping in the dark? (Perry ,103). Wollstonecraft argued that men, used reasoning to justify inequality. stating," men, in general, seem to employ the reason to justify prejudice, which they have embedded, they can scarcely trace now, rather than to root them out" (Perry, 104). Furthermore, she suggested that the continued suppression of women could only serve to undo societies advancements thus far, stating. -"... [women] may be convenient slaves, but slavery will have its consistent effect, degrading the master and the abject dependent. (Perry,104). Suggesting that only a truly equal society could avoid the failure of those which