Gender ROles
As the conditions in America changed, women's roles remained static.
EXPECTATIONS FOR WOMEN
"The prolonged slavery of women is the darkest page in human history."
-Elizabeth Cady Stanton, 1881
Societal norms dictated that women should remain in the domestic sphere, tending to the home and children.
Women in the Workplace
In general, the workplace was dominated by white males, so women were limited, with no possibility for mobility.
Gender-Based Government Policies
Government policies further solidified gender differences.
In the case of Bradwell v. Illinois, the Supreme Court rejected the argument for women to be able to practice law.
"The...destiny and mission of women are to fulfill the noble and benign offices of wife and mother. This is the law of the Creator." |
The Legal Rights, Liabilities, and Duties of Women by Edward Mansfield demonstrates how women were legally subordinate to men.