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Condition of women during colonial period
The rpole of women in colonial times
The rpole of women in colonial times
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Women, in general, have been defined by their challenge to proclaim self-sovereignty concerning their sexual organs and every step forward only served to limit the group in a different way. In colonial America, women were discredited because they were perceived as the antagonist and initiator when lewd men unlawfully raped them. This misconception was instigated by Justice Lumpkin who claimed that a woman will never “upon the occasion of her first carnal contact with a man, will readily submit to the intercourse without some reluctance and some show of resistance” (Freedman, 2013, p. 47). This ruling essentially eliminated their sexual-sovereignty because it meant that, under the jurisdiction of the government, females always agree to having
Since the beginning of the 17th-century and earlier, there has always been different perspectives on women 's rights. Men and women all over the world have voiced their opinion and position in regard to the rights of women. This holds especially true in the United States during the 18th and 19th century. As women campaigned for equality, there were some who opposed this idea. There was, and always will be a series of arguments on behalf of women 's rights. Anti-women 's rights activists such as Dr. John Todd and Pro-women 's rights activist Gail Hamilton argued intelligently and tactfully on the topic. There were many key arguments made against women’s rights by Dr. John Todd, and Gail Hamilton 's rebuttal was graceful and on par with her male counterpart. Let 's examine some of Dr. John 's arguments against women 's equality.
Rough draft segregation was a terribly unfair law that lasted about a hundred years in the United States. A group of high school students who struggled for better educational conditions were a big factor in ending segregation in the United States. Even though going on strike for better conditions may have negative impacts, African Americans were not treated equally in education because of segregation and the Jim Crow laws were so unfair and the black schools were in terrible condition compared to the whites’. In 1896 the Plessy v. Ferguson case made the segregation of blacks and whites legal; and the Supreme Court made the Jim Crow laws legal, saying that blacks are “separate but equal.” African Americans knew that was unfair and could especially see it in the schools.
Women, like black slaves, were treated unequally from the male before the nineteenth century. The role of the women played the part of their description, physically and emotionally weak, which during this time period all women did was took care of their household and husband, and followed their orders. Women were classified as the “weaker sex” or below the standards of men in the early part of the century. Soon after the decades unfolded, women gradually surfaced to breathe the air of freedom and self determination, when they were given specific freedoms such as the opportunity for an education, their voting rights, ownership of property, and being employed.
The civilization of men is called chivalry and is earned by women at the price of their own civilization. “For the female, civilized behavior means chastity before marriage and faithfulness within it. Chivalrous behavior in the male is supposed to protect that chastity from involuntary defilement” (Griffin, 516). Unfortunately, the definition of civilization for women requires them to be feminine, dainty, and submissive while men are strong and dominant. This robs women of the mentality that they can be strong and independent and forces them to seek protection from men instead of finding it in themselves. This mentality and dependence deprives women of the ability to protect themselves from men creating a world of fear for them to live in. It also keeps women submissive because they do not want to step out of line and risk being hurt. Essentially, men keep women submissive by defining womanhood and using it like a cage to restrict their behavior and thoughts. In addition, their chivalrous protection does not apply to women who step outside of their required behavior. This means that women who act independently cannot be raped, they are beyond violation and an open target for all men. This double standard serves to make rape an acceptable and even encouraged behavior while keeping women quiet and well-behaved, lest they be mistaken for a bad girl worthy of
after he rode a bicycle across six lanes and did not have tail light on his bike. After
It is mind-blowing how little a woman has ownership over her own body. It is even more remarkable how, even in 2016, women still cannot freely enjoy being sexually active, like men, without shade being thrown at them. Jill Filipovic touches on these issues in her essay, Offensive Feminism: The Conservative Gender Norms that Perpetuates Rape Culture, and How Feminists Fight Back. Ms. Filipovic gives insight into how these perceptions help the rape culture in America stay alive. In this reflection paper, I plan on evaluating how there is a “war over the most basic of values: the humans rights to bodily autonomy and self-determination, the role of women in society, and the construction of the family (Filipovic 14).”
To understand the significant change in the role of the women is to understand its roots. Traditionally, women in colonial America were limited in the roles they played or limited in their "spheres of influence." Women were once seen as only needed to bear children and care for them. Their only role was domestic; related to activities such as cooking and cleaning. A married woman shared her husband's status and often lived with his family. The woman was denied any legal control over her possession, land, money, or even her own children after a divorce. In a sense, she was the possession of her husband after marriage. She "... was a legal incompetent, as children, idiots, and criminals were under English law. As feme covert she was stripped of all property; once married, the clothes on her back, her personal possessions--whether valuable, mutable or merely sentimental--and even her body became her husband's, to direct, to manage, and to use. Once a child was born to the couple, her land, too, came under his control." (Berkin 14)
The meaning and penalties of rape have progressed throughout the history of America to ensemble the mindset of the time. Records show that a man in the seventeenth century was convicted of attempted rape if "he used enticement and then force toward a woman, driven by the sinful lusts that raged within him...and he allowed her...to scare or fight him off" (Dayton 238). Unfortunately, this definition was not always taken at face value. The leading men of the seventeenth century, likely white men, reformed this definition in a variation of ways to work in their favor when suspected of rape. It can be determined from study of historical information that the reason there are fewer reported rapes against white males in the seventeenth century and more against non-white males was because women gave in to a society driven by the influence and governance of white males in the legal system. This concept is demonstrated through a look into the outcome of a number of rape cases against both white men and non-white men, through an understanding of the helpless station of women, and through a view at the basis of the white man's resentment toward the non-white male: their view of the non-white male as the "other."
“Where justice is denied, where poverty is enforced, where ignorance prevails, and where any one class is made to feel that society is an organized conspiracy to oppress, rob and degrade them, neither persons nor property will be safe”( Douglass). This famous quote epitomizes the philosophies of Frederick Douglass, in which he wanted everyone to be treated with dignity; if everyone was not treated with equality, no one person or property would be safe harm. His experience as a house slave, field slave and ship builder gave him the knowledge to develop into a persuasive speaker and abolitionist. In his narrative, he makes key arguments to white abolitionist and Christians on why slavery should be abolished. The key arguments that Frederick Douglass tries to vindicate are that slavery denies slaves of their identity, slavery is also detrimental for the slave owner, and slavery is ungodly.
The best ways in which to interpret the Constitution as well as how much power the court has is something that has been argued throughout legislative history. In Calder v Bull, Justice Chase and Justice Iredell have differing opinions on the matter. Chase thought that the government has no authority to interfere with an individual’s rights and the general principles of law and reason forbid the legislature from interfering. He said, “The purposes for which men enter into society will determine the nature and terms of the social compact: as they are the foundation of legislative power, they will decide what are the proper objects of it: The nature and ends of legislative power will limit the exercise of it.” (57). Justice Chase argues that
For instance, women were not afforded the right to vote until 1920 with the 19th Amendment – over 150 years since the creation of the United States ("19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution"). The women’s rights movement began with the country’s inception, but suppressive gender roles confined women in the home as wives and mothers. In spite of numerous developments over time, as a woman today, I have a fear of rape that hangs over me as I anticipate entering college. I am not alone in this fear, knowing that one in five women will be sexually assaulted while in college (The Hunting Ground). The problems caused by sexual assault are violations of Title IX, as the lack of safety inhibits a woman’s participation in her education (“Title IX and Sex Discrimination”). When over half of America feels – and has always felt – that they have less freedom due to their gender, there cannot be
They have been mistreated and stepped on by those who attain more power. They have been taken advantage of, abused, and even killed. These women have been forced to give up their own bodies. The right to be a female has been taken away from them. Their bodies have become properties to those in higher control of them. Andrea Smith states that, “The history of sexual violence and genocide among Native women illustrates how gender violence functions as a tool for racism and colonialism.” (2005; p. 15). This history of sexual violence has become a tool for those in power to profit from these women’s bodies. For example, while colonists used sexual power to get rid of the indigenous people white slave owners used sexual violence against black women to increase their profits. (Class notes). Like black women, the Native women were also seen as “rapable,” and their rapes simply, “didn’t count.” (2005; p. 10). Native women’s bodies were free to take, the goal was to subdue and control their bodies and their lands. (Class notes). Just like their bodies, their lands were also “free to be taken,” as if they weren’t humans at all, that’s why Smith called it “Rape of the Land.” (2005; p. 56). As for black women, slave owners used their bodies to create a labor force that would profit them in the future. These white slave owners would rape black women, impregnate them and use their
It was once acceptable for men to have full control over women, declaring when they will marry and when they will have children. However, over the past centuries, women have established a place in society, proving themselves much more than someone's property. This is why the word “rape” today is not taken lightly. According to findlaw.com, “Rape generally refers to non-consensual sexual intercourse that is committed by physical force, threat of injury, or other duress.” When one does not give consent to sex, it is considered a felony, possibly putting the rapist in jail. Contrary to sexual assault, “Sex is reified as penile-vaginal intercourse while an extremely diverse group of pleasurable and sexually stimulating activities are dismissively relegated to the category of foreplay...” (Reinholtz, Muehlenhard, Phelps, & Satterfield, 1995.) Although consented sexual intercourse is much more out in the open and accepted in society, the problem of rape is still very relevant behind the scenes.
It comes to no surprise to the American people to speak of America as a patriarchal society where most if not every institution, from religious to educational, is ran by a male and/or were created under a male perspective. Legal processes and laws being no exception have been created and enforced to fit a male society where the woman has no say. The male vision legal scholarship is to law what law is to patriarchy: each legitimates by masking and by giving an appearance of neutrality to the maleness of the institution it serves. Throughout history male scholars have left out female experiences. The law is what we can refer to as gender specific and many parts of our culture demonstrate this. Excluding the female experience in law is an error that can still be corrected. The need for the change came during the women’s movement and feminist scholarship theory has given rise to feminist jurisprudence, a philosophy of law based on the political, economic and social equality of sexes. I will be discussing many of the laws that were passed not only with a male perspective but also as a form of oppression towards women. It is an inquiry that is methodologically and substantially an inquiry from the point of view of women’s experiences. It criticizes and subverts patriarchal assumptions about law including patriarchal attempts to present law as without a gendered point of view.
In the United States, marital rape has been illegal since 1993. Twenty years later though, 33 of our states’ legal systems still consider marital rape a lesser crime where the attacker will usually be charged with only domestic violence instead of rape. This type of nonchalant attitude from society towards such a serious issue stems from a long history with the idea of a male dominance stance in the world and the women’s place in society and marriage. It is a common belief that once married, a woman gives up the right to her body to her husband. The oldest and most ...