Do not use Wikipedia, but look up the following on reliable scholarly sources on Google please:
1. Look up when women received the right to an education in America.2. Did white women and black women receive the right at the same time?
3. Look up when women received the right to vote?
4. Did white women and black women receive the right to vote at the same time?
5. When did black men receive the right to an education? Was it at the same time black women received that right?
6. When did black men receive the right to vote? Was it at the same time black women received the right to vote?
What conclusions do you draw from this information?
In many cultures, especially the United States of America, white, middle-classed men have been portrayed as the ultimate authority. The founders of United State of America wrote The Declaration of Independence as a promise to their nation. In this document, the men state, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” These fifty-six men agreed that an entire nation of people should be allowed the rights to freedom, equality, and justice; however, this document contradicts itself. How can Thomas Jefferson claim that he believes in equality and freedom when he holds slaves of his own? How can the leaders of a nation of freedom and equality divide restaurants, workplaces, and buses by the color of someone’s skin?
ReplyDeleteWithout these crucial people in the United States, the country would not be where it is today. If anything, black men lacked the skills of education because of the white man’s fear of rebellion. Fredrick Douglass, for example, proved himself more intelligent than the white children. His feigned ignorance was just one example of his own ambitions towards literacy. Whether black or female, the battle between the white man and the “others” has not been simple. Despite the biological differences, black men are just as capable of the work ethic, intelligence, and perseverance as white men. Today, politicians such as President Barack Obama and Colin Powell have overcome the stereotypes of the previous centuries.
Women have also made great bounds throughout the past hundred years. Yet, too often, they are degraded for their “ideal” position. Some men still see women as the domestic, obedient housewife. Until the 1900s, women relied heavily on men for financial support; however, due to the World War II draft, women filled their husband and sons positions in industrial jobs. Their independence proved that they were capable of the same labor that men have been doing for several years. While today, an equal amount of men and women attend college and receive stable careers, stereotypes and racism has not disappeared. Many white men remain in high paying jobs, are voted into political positions, and are the financial anchor in their homes. What can be done to change this? In some ways, the change is continuing to develop. Because of people like Carrie Chapman Catt and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, women have the opportunity to vote and voice their opinions to a country that was previously unresponsive to their demands.
Everyone is always afraid that there will be some one bigger and better then them in every aspect of life. But that is a huge point of life. There will always be the bigger fish in the sea. Life is a journey in which people can choose to develop their lives so that they begin to climb up the ladder in the social and business realm. People will do what ever they can to make sure that they climb the ladder first and reach the top. These laws that were put in place to not allow women to vote and received education where part of that destruction of a ladder. I truly believe that men considered women a threat to their well being in society. White men wanted to control the society that's why they felt the need to implement these laws the prohibited white women, african american men and women from climbing the social ladder.
ReplyDeleteWhite men slowly released their control on society when they allowed African American men the right to vote. They were lenient with these rules because they were men as well. It was not until the women started understanding that they have a right to be as equal as men did they start fighting for it. When Oberlin College opened its' doors to women and black students the times began to change. Women were allowed to receive an education and with this education they became more aware of how they were being suppressed.
Without education to empower them, many women believed that they should not hold the power to influence politics or even make decisions about their own property. Women were stripped of their dignity and privileges by men of the community and even by their own husbands. However, they were finally able to break free from these social constraints through education. It is telling that most of the early feminists were set apart from their complacent sisters by education. They were educated, and through this knowledge gained a sense of self-worth and the power to change history. (Horany, Elizabeth. Women's Issues Then & Now).
With education women were able to free themselves from their social restraints and live life just like the men did. However it is still very interesting today that in the work force women are earning less then men when they both have the same job. Women are also not granted certain privileges at work such as sometimes not receive a promotion because they are women. If we are suppose to live in an equal society why are things like this still in place?
-Megan Scully
While looking up the questions assigned it really made me think about women and what really makes them/us so different from men. All throughout school we hear that women aren’t superior to men and that women cant do what men can do were not as strong, as fast, as smart, as good. But who really decides that? Society? Do we have to dumb ourselves down to show that men are better? Today a woman can hold the same occupation as a man but gets paid less. Why do we have to live behind the men instead of living right next to them?
ReplyDeleteAfter class is was talking to my roommate and she was telling me about a book she has to read for her math class call Flatland by Edwin A. Abbot. She was saying that it was about the world being flat and there are various shapes that make up the world, like a pentagon for a house. The people that live on this flat land are also shapes and that whoever has the most sides holds a higher status. The men are squares and the women are sticks. After hearing this it really got me thinking how women are so downgraded in society. In history there is an abundance of strong women like Rosa Parks on the bus, standing her ground and speaking her mind. Harriet Tubman, taking action and freeing all those slaves. Amelia Earhart living her dream and flying around the world to set a record. Theses women spoke their mind and took a spotlight in history. Another thought is the harsh names spoken about women. Men could do the same but get called nothing at all. It reminds me of a song by Christina Aguilera and Lil Kim called “Cant hold us Down.” They sing about how women are portrayed as “Whores” but what are men called? Nothing!
As a woman I feel our rights today came from strong independent women in history. We all are in college obtaining an education and able to vote on Election Day. Whether black or white we are strong women with a future. Our rights came from the black and white women who had to fight for them so we have them to thank for our future and present success.
The topics such as women’s suffrage, the right to vote for men and women, segregation, etc. have become part of the education system for years. Then, why is it that I have come to forget the answers to the above questions? It is because my life today is nothing comparable to the lives of the deeply suffered in the past. I should be ashamed of myself for forgetting about the people who fought for me as a woman to enjoy the freedom and independence of today. Sadly enough, the stereotypes of women both black and white and of black men have not left us completely, but with the continuation of strong independent people who gain motivation from past events and people, the complete change will come in time.
ReplyDeleteIt is a fact that black men received the right to vote before white and black women, but it also proves the point that women were absolutely NOTHING compared to men. I always wondered why white women did not gain this right before any black man or woman. Are they not the wives and daughters of the white men? Well proven by the law of the order in which the right to vote was given, all women were below men. This is a disgusting thought and it took brave and powerful women and men to purge this disgusting thought into one of equality.
The right to vote stems into a much bigger idea. The roles of women were to tend the children, clean the house, cook dinner, and please the husband. A bright and beautifully minded woman did not exist in the eyes of men. Even today, propaganda, ads, TV shows, etc. portray the typical domestic role of women. It is not a bad role but it should not and is not the only role women are capable of. As for black men, were they not treated like animals because their skin color was different? In every other way they resembled the white man. I believe the white men knew this and were not ignorant to this fact, but refused to accept it because the power and money was too good to let go.
It is depressing to read how women did not gain the same education as men until the 1830”s. Some of the brightest individuals are women. There is really no conclusion to make other than women, both white and black, and black men had very hard lives for a very long time. Yes, we have all come a long way to acceptance and equality but there is always, no matter what people say or do, resentment and hostility between white and black men and women because of how each were treated and portrayed as in the past and even now.
There are great and successful men and women in America today both black and white. Unfortunately, we will never know how many great thinking and acting black men and women there have been in our past because they were never given a chance to shine. We all live and learn by our past and that is why neither I, nor any other person should forget the past. It is what makes us who we are today.
As Anne Bradstreet would always make clear in her poems such as, ‘The Author to Her Book,’ a woman may produce excellent work if not better than a man’s, but she must put her work down for she could NEVER do or be better than a man in her time. Bradstreet’s style of writing of criticizing her own work within the work to make sure she was not trying to succeed men provides just one example of how women, for the longest time had to live their lives suffocating for independence and a voice of their own. Well, according to the questions above and the answers found, the suffocating lasted for far too long.
After looking up answers to these questions, it became apparent to me that the biggest separation at the time (and presently) was not so much between race as between gender. Man, regardless of his race, received the right to vote before woman. This idea sparked a memory in me about the various quotations and conversations I have witnessed throughout my life more-or-less stating that even the lowest man on the totem pole is still "above" or "better than" the highest ranked woman.
ReplyDeleteFurther, many discussions arose near the coming of the most recent election regarding man vs. woman. There were bets placed, arguments had, and fights between even the closest of friends over the reality that an African American man might become President of the United States before a white woman. Many spectators commented/worried that a woman could not fulfill the role of President as productively as a man because women act with emotions whereas men act with logic. This begs the question: is acting with emotions really the more negative of the two? Perhaps if the government allowed more emotions to be involved in politics the United States, and the rest of the world, would see changes for the better. Is it really more "logical" to value money, status and power over the feelings and lives of human beings? How is it logical for one say that a woman can not possibly be as successful a leader based purely on this premise? The simple fact that we, as women, continue to have to fight for just a CHANCE to prove ourselves as equals shows that gender separation is a real issue--and has been one since even before the creation of the Constitution.
It was very interesting to look up the answers to the questions above. It was shocking to see how women have been treated so unfairly in society. There are women that are extremely smart and capable of achieving the same goals as men. Women still face disadvantages in today's society. An example of this can be seen with the income of men and women. Women are known to make less than men, even if they are in the same occupation. Women have come a very long way in our world. Some women are now the providers for their household, instead of staying home to cook, clean, and take care of their children. Stay at home fathers are becoming more normal. Women are taking on more responsibilities in our society; therefore, women should be receiving more respect. The answers to the above questions prove how much women have been fighting for equality in our society. I am extremely grateful that I have the opportunity to attend school and vote. It is sad to think that women were once treated so badly, and deprived of rights that were given to men.
ReplyDeleteEven after researching the specific dates and information from various sites, I still found it difficult to imagine ever being denied rights that are so essential to our existence in modern day America. As a woman of today, I am able to enjoy the liberties granted to me by the individuals who spent the entirety of their lives advocating for equality of the races and sexes. One of the conclusions drawn from my research was that even though the issue of race amongst blacks and whites remained on the forefront of a vast majority of Americans’ minds, the deeply rooted issue of gender equality was equally as serious during this time, despite the fact that it was less vocalized until women such as Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott took a stand. For example, Charlotte Woodward was a relentless advocate for women’s rights throughout her lifetime, as far back as the Seneca Falls Convention, and throughout the decades she prevailed in her cause, living to witness the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment. Although I had a general idea of the timeline of these events in American history, actually having the dates in front of me and reading the candid accounts of the hardships of so many people was really inspiring.
ReplyDeleteIt is amazing to me that one aspect of history, such as the establishment of Oberlin College, could open so many doors to positive change and progress. Only decades after the opening of Oberlin, nearly half the undergraduate students were women, whereas half a century before the notion of a women getting an education was practically unheard of. As a result of such radical change, African-Americans were also granted the right to a proper education. Mary Jane Patterson was one of the first black women to graduate from college and achieve a degree from her studies.
While reading about a number of women’s struggles for independence, a piece I read in high school by Kate Chopin came to mind. “Story of an Hour” is set in an American home in the late nineteenth century. The story tells a tale of a woman who suddenly learns of the death of her husband. Once her grief begins to subside, she is gradually overcome with a subtle sense of joy and refuses to dismiss her instincts of power and free-will, realizing she is now liberated from the constraint of a male figure. The novella finishes with a bitter twist of fate as she learns that her husband's death was a miscommunication, causing her to suffer a fatal heart attack at the thought of returning to her stifling existence. The short story conveys the absolute dominance that was held over countless women throughout history.
Although it is evident that our country has made tremendous progress over the centuries, there is always room for improvement, in my opinion. Despite the fact that black men and women have overcome racial adversities and prejudice, racism still unfortunately exists in parts of our world today. Women have also been able to break free from the chains of their societal roles as merely wives and mothers since previous centuries, but often women are still over-shadowed by their male counterparts at home and in the work world.
What we’ve seen throughout these last decades leaves me to wonder what leaps and bounds our country will accomplish within our lifetime..
It is hard to think there was a time when women were not treated equally. Sometimes I forget about how fortunate I am to be living now, instead of before the Women’s Rights Movement. It is shocking that the answers to these questions are fairly recent. As a woman, I know it is important for me to take advantage of the rights I have today and not take them for granted. As we discussed in class, there are still obstacles women face simply because of their sex. Women are still not paid as much as men for doing the same work. Although it is not completely equal, I believe America has come a long way since the Women’s Rights Movement. Women went from not having the right to an education, to outnumbering the amount of men in college. The only reason to deny a certain group a right is because the people in power want to stay in power and feel threatened by the competition. No one should be denied a right because of his/her sex or the color of his/her skin.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was in about fifth grade, I remember my grandmother, great-grandmother, and aunt having a conversation about being a black women in America. The one thing that has stuck with me from that conversation was something my grandmother said. "The only thing worse than being a woman in this country is being a black woman." It took me a long time to understand exactly whatthe meant and as I've grown I see what she meant. Finding the answers to these questions only validated what she said.
ReplyDeleteRace is still a big issue America, whether or not people are willing to admit and address it, but I do believe the bigger issue, especially when it come to climbing the later of success, is between men and women. It's really devastating that at this day and age that mankind hasn't gotten that WE ARE ALL HUMAN and no one race, sex, etc. is better than another.
The more disturbing thing is for how long the laws enabled this twisted thinking. At this point, I don't really care about what injustice is greater than the other. I see injustice like I do mankind, all the same. I hope that at some point in my lifetime I'll be able to witness equality amongst everyone. I hope.
I am surprised how few students chose to answer the first blog!
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