Question

Did men oppose the early American women’s rights movement?

Answer 1

Document One
James Gordon Bennett, editor of New York Herald, wrote in response to the 1850 Women’s Rights Convention.

The new dispensation of Lucretia Mott and the philosophers, proposes:

To dispense with Christianity and the Bible. After an experiment of nineteen centuries, they declare the system to be a humbug.
To abolish the existing political and social system of society as part of the false machinery of the age.
To put all races, sexes and colors upon a footing of perfect equality. The convention having proved by phrenology and biology that, the sexes are equal in point of intellect, and that color is a mere difference of complexion, it is proposed to abolish the only distinction of sex by a universal adoption of breeches. . . .
Old things are to be done away with, and all things are to become new. Seward is to be sustained, and [President Millard] Fillmore is only to be tolerated till the advent of the new dispensation, when Lucretia Mott, Abby Kelly, Douglas, Greeley and Sojourner Truth are to rule the roast. Then, and not till then, shall we realise the jubilee of the Devil and his angels.
Short-Answer Questions

What type of list does Bennett make here?
To what does Bennett compare Lucretia Mott and other defenders of women’s rights?

Answer 2

Document Two
Henry H. Amringe commented in reaction to the 1850 Women’s Rights Convention.

Women in Europe may fill the throne, as reigning Monarchs. Shall they who are thought worthy of the highest station, in hereditary monarchies, be deemed unworthy of election to office, by the suffrages of a free people? If women, placed in the administration of great and vast national affairs, by the mere accident of birth, have acted wisely, much more might we expect not wisdom only, but integrity in the government of women, selected by free citizens, with a view to mental and moral fitness.
Short-Answer Questions

Where did Henry Amringe make these comments?
What argument does Amringe give to support his views?

Answer 3

Lucius Alonzo Hines commented in reaction to the Women’s Rights Convention, 1850.

"...let me remark, that it is my deliberate opinion that any act wrong in woman is equally wrong in man, — that if it be right for man to fight, it is also right for woman to fight, if it be right for man to tolerate rowdyism at the polls, in Congress, in the coffee-house, it is right for woman to mingle in it and contribute her share to this kind of righteousness. Woman has often assisted in the defence of her country, and no laws of disfranchisement have been able to diminish the ardor of her patriotism, or her well known courage in the hour of danger."
Short-Answer Questions

Does Hines believe women and men are equal?
How do you know?

Answer 4

Document Six
Justice Bradley of the U.S. Supreme Court wrote this comment. It appears in the case summary for Bradwell v. Illinois, 1872.

"It is true that many women are unmarried and not affected by any of the duties, complications, and incapacities arising out of the married state, but these are exceptions to the general rule. The paramount destiny

and mission of woman are to fulfill the noble and benign offices of wife and mother. This is the law of the Creator. And the rules of civil society must be adapted to the general constitution of things, and cannot be based upon exceptional cases."
Short-Answer Questions

What does Justice Bradley say is the most important job of women?
Does Justice Bradley believe the laws support women having political rights? How do you know?

Answer 5

Document Four
Women's Emancipation cartoon
Public Domain

Review the image.

Short-Answer Questions

What are the women doing in this image?
Does the artist seem to support women’s rights or not?

Answer 6

Document Five
Hovenden's The Last Moments of John Brown
Library of Congress
(Rare Book and Special Collection Division
NAWSA Miller Scrapbook Collection)

Review the image.

Short-Answer Questions

Who appears in the center of this postcard?
From the quote, what would you say Phillips thought about women’s rights?


The moment you give women power (the ballot); that moment men will see to it that she has the way cleared for her.- Wendell Phillips

Answer 7

So, like, this is a whole big project or something?
The answer to your original question. Yes, men opposed the women's rights movement. If a majority of men had supported it, they would have voted for it and it would be done.

Answer 8

@wwhitlock Ya it is

Answer 9

Here's Part B
Historical Context: The women’s rights movement had roots in early social reform efforts of the 1800s. Women led many of those efforts. However, they found that there were certain things they could not do because of tradition. One example was public speaking in front of men and women. Many women felt frustrated by these limits. They chose to focus their efforts on women’s rights instead. Lucretia Mott and Elizabeth Cady Stanton helped organize the first Women’s Rights Convention in 1850.

The Big Question

In a well-written essay, use at least three of the documents from Part A to answer this question:

Did men oppose the early American women’s rights movement?

Answer 10

Ok, I've got a better idea of what you're doing now.

General plan of attack:
1. Read everything.
2. Look for evidence. Find specific words and phrases that answer the big question (Did men.....
Hard copies work great for the next step but do whatever works
3. Highlight, circle, underline or some how designate the good stuff.
4. Read/look through all your evidence. Figure out a way to group it into 3 categories. Like men who opposed, men who supported and some middle ground OR religious arguments against, tradition arguments against, and equal rights arguments.
Make the categories whatever feels right to you because you are going to write about them. Just make sure you have several pieces of evidence for any category you create.

5. Organize your stuff according to those categories. Make 3 lists, or go back and highlight evidence with a color code. Or write each fact on a card and divide them into stacks. You can decide best evidence to least, That could help later.
It's OK for evidence to go into more than one category.

6. Write a paragraph using the info in each list. Start with a sentence like "Some of the criticism was religious." (Or whatever the label is) Then just list it all in sentence form. Use as much of the original wording as you can. (Hines said, blah blah or According to Bradley "blah blah")
Include everything you think is good about that category. Then you are done with it.

7. Write a paragraph about your next category the same way as you did for the first. Put everything in and then you are done. Then do the third one.
By that time, every piece of evidence you think should be used, needs to show up somewhere in what you have written.

8. You now have the body of the paper. Write and introduction. In the Intro should give very short background and include a road map. Tell the reader what you will cover. "Opposition to women's rights took 3 different forms: religious, traditional and...." or whatever your 3 thinks are.

9. Write a conclusion, This is like a lawyers closing argument. review your strongest evidence and restate your answer to the question.

* There is nothing magic about 3 categories. You can do more but be careful. You'll likely end up repeating yourself or something.
* A grabber at the beginning of the first paragraph is a nice touch. Some great quote or unique idea to get the readers attention works. But don't worry about it. Write everything and add that last if you need to.
* If it seems like a lot, it is. Just do one step at a time. You'll impress the heck out of your teacher.

Answer 11

@wwhitlock thanks for the idea

Answer 12

Thank you is the best response for me.