Women's Rights In The 1800s

1844 Words8 Pages
Before the Women 's Rights reforms, American women were discriminated in society, home life, education, and the workforce. As a result of the Women 's Rights Movement, women gained the right to vote, access to higher education and opportunities to enter the workforce, overall changing the femmine life for the better. Women in the 1800s were stripped of their voice, not only were they unable to vote, they were often kept from speaking openly in public. Their lack of rights left them dependent on men (Bonnie and Ruthsdotter). The American Women were voiceless, they had no say in society, however the reform movement would change that. Married women had very little rights compared to husband. One major human right violation was women 's lack of property rights.. Even if the property belonged to their family, once they were married that land became their husbands. In divorce and custody battles, mostly favored the husband. In any case of divorce, women had no legal rights to their children (Bonnie and Ruthsdotter). The institution of marriage stripped women of their rights. State property laws prohibiting women from owning property. Consequently, anything they owed were their husbands now, all earnings went to straight into their husbands pockets (Bonnie and Ruthsdotter). Besides from having no right in the eyes of the law, women also had many limitations regarding education and the workforce. Women were not allowed to enter many professions including medicine and law. Girls