Judith Sargent Murray

As a woman, it is impossible not to be with inspired by the boldness if Judith Sargent Murray. It can be seen clearly in her poem, the annoyance she had towards sex inequality, in a period when women were relegated, invisible, and considered second-class citizens. History has always privileged men. For centuries the historical accounts, almost always made from the male perspective, have placed women in a secondary, subordinate, and passive positions. Women from the eighteenth century was considered as a possession. Inheritance earned, wages earned, and children were considered belongings of the husband. Childbearing (which men offspring was preferred), domestic chores, and taking care of the family was the main roles of women at that time.

It was the right opportunity to women step up and take owe the idea of independence and equality of a new republic. Her text is written in an up level intellectual style, therefore confirming her bolstering theory, that women could also have intellectual and enlightenment language as men. With a thought-provoking poem title “On the equality of sexes,” Judith Sargent Murray starts her poem stating: “That minds are not alike, full well I know/ This truth each day’s experience will show,” (Murray, p. 772) here she start pointing out differences of the minds. She defends the idea that an intellectual mind is gained by experience, which only men had by getting educated. Each mind would put in practice what it had learned, and of course women had a great intellectual and academic disadvantage. Her overall point was not against a specific person, but instead against the idea of institutional and society inequality. She continues to describe how men defines women “Deep science, like a bashful maid retires, / And but the ardent breast her worth inspires,” (Murray, p. 772) defining that at the eyes of men, women are only useful for domestic chores and for taking care of

Although some may turned their nose to the Declaration of Sentiment, it was the beginning of a new era. (Cokely) Judith Sargent Murray was a women way ahead of her time. Regardless of her desire for women's rights and her belief in the intellectual equality of the sexes, Murray considered women's subordination to men required, in order to maintain a peaceful society. (Clearly) It is unbelievable how her statement of thoughts became a significant milestone in the feminist movement. Her claims were, for the most part, fairness and consistency. For this reason, the movement has won many and many adherents, despite, the great barriers that were imposed in the defense of their ideas and ideals. She defended a theory that denied women equal access to privileges. (Schloesser) In her essay we can see her discontentment on how women were portrayed. Women had great potential to exercise great roles in society, but were held back because of their gender. From a contextual, Judith Murray gave voice to a minority of women who lingered on hope and fears. This text calls women to embrace their ability of reasoning. For her, education was the key to a