The Rise of Feminism in The Industrial Revolution

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Throughout history, women of all classes have often been subordinate to men, adopting positions of companionship and support rather than taking leadership roles. In the 19th century England, a patriarchal society, presumed that “females were naïve, fragile, and emotionally weak creatures who could not exist independently of a husband or a father’s wise guidance.” It was until the Industrial Revolution that lower class women were able to find jobs in factories and become more independent from their households and husbands. Even then, their jobs were harsh and they were often underpaid compared to their male counterparts. Emma Paterson, the leader of the Women’s Trade Union once said, “Not only are women frequently paid half or less than half for doing work as well and as quickly as men, but skilled women whose labour requires delicacy of touch, the result of long training as well as thoughtfulness receive from 11 shillings to 16 or 17 shilling a week, while the roughest unskilled labour of a man is worth at least 18 shillings.” The employers of Industrial Revolution mistreated and abused lower class women to such an extent that middle class women were beginning to become aware of their suffering. Girls were sent to factories at very early ages and many lacked proper education. These events led to middle class women fight for laws protecting women employees and women suffrages. Middle class women led strikes and revolts against employers as they struggled to bring fairness between men and women. These feminists were the first women that fought for women’s rights and were responsible for equality that men and women have today.

Before the Industrial Revolution, women were always tied to the family. Women’s “independent identity...

... middle of paper ...

... Victorian England: Male Opposition to Sacramental Confession in the Anglican Church.” EBSCOhost, http://www.hchs.hunter.cuny.edu:2053/ehost/detail?vid=4&hid=19&sid=a776509f-f9fd-46ed-b993-a80a54c97895%40sessionmgr4&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=a9h&AN=17406788 (accessed April 11, 2011). (Primary Source/Academic Source)

Simonton, Deborah. European Women’s Work. USA and Canada: Routledge, 1998. (Book)

Swisher, Clarice. Victorian England. USA: Greenhaven Press, Inc., 2000. (Book)

The National Archives. “Were men and women equal in Victorian Britain?.” Divided nation. http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/education/victorianbritain/divided/default.htm (Accessed April 12, 2011).

University of Rochester. “Suffrage History.” Center for Women’s Leadership. http://www.rochester.edu/SBA/suffragehistory.html (accessed April 11, 2001). (Secondary Source)

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