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In Woloch's reading, (O, Ye Daughters of Africa, Awake!), Maria Stewart, a black Bostonian, played a special role in public life and women's history. When the abolitionist movement began, William Lloyd Garrison published some of her essays in his antislavery journal. In her essays, I really liked how Stewart urged women to pursue self-improvement and assert their rights. A lot of her message was aimed at African American women. -Katie D.

I agree with Katie but I'd also like to point something else out about the piece "O, Ye Daughters of Africa, Awake!"  All throughout Maria Stewart's account, she used revolutionary rhetoric, more often than not using the word "liberty."  She also consistently brought up freedoms such as the freedom of the press and the freedom of speech, and it just emphasizes what we learned in class that this revolutionary rhetoric was coming back to haunt the upper and middle class white men that the rhetoric was supposed to apply to. -Kelly Wuyscik

I thought Maris Stewart's writing was intellectual and extremely well written for a speech. In the essay, she speaks of freedom and equality to Americans. '''I think I understand why she would not see herself as an American- considering the awful circumstances- yet if everyone knew that the fear of the white men was that another race may not "assimilate," why would she not call herself American and attempt to be truly equal? When did the term African American come into play?''' These may be ignorant questions- but I am hoping someone else is in the same boat- Talya. 

I agree with what everyone has said. Stewart's use of the Revolutionary rhetoric creates a very empowering speech. - Kaitlyn G.

The reading by Maria Stewart is steeped with rhetoric which was used during the American Revolution. Stewart talks about "this land of freedom" that "all the nations of the earth are crying out for liberty and equality" ect. This piece also sounds like a sermon, and therefore, might have been influenced by the great awakening. For stewart, education plays an important role in the raising of black women's status in society and seems to imply that it is their right for education as much as it is their right to freedom. However, I'm wondering who her audience was exactly because that can change the way her speech is interpreted or recieved. --K. Vance

When reading Lucy Stone's Marriage Protest, in Woloch's book, I found it interesting that when the couple took their vows, each partner signed a unique marriage "protest". This protest was also read as part of their ceremony! -Katie D.

'''I really feel that Lucy Stone epitomizes the definition of a feminist, the one that will lead to our modern day definition/perception. She kept her own name, she "refused to 'obey', and challenged the system..."''' The protest itself is riddled with a woman's absolute independence. It takes away any traditional patriarchal "laws" and demands equality from both man and woman. -- Vanessa Smiley

I was also interested by Lucy Stone's marriage protest, probably because it was so not what one would expect from a woman from the mid 1800s, at least '''I assume this was irregular'''.  The things that she was protesting we take for advantage that we dont have to worry about them.  For instance women today dont have to worry about their legal existence disappearing with marriage.  But for her the things that many women seemed to just accept as their fate she rebelled against.  I was also intreged that '''she kept her own name'''. --Mary P.

I was equally intrigued by the marriage of Lucy Stone and was curious if we know anything about how Henry Blackwell was treated after agreeing to this marriage protest. Was he ridiculed by men for not being able to "control" his wife? Was he embraced by woman for being the ideal husband for letting his wife have rights? Or was he simply ignored, as if this case was not out of the ordinary in any way?- Lisa Wilkerson

The fact that Henry Blackwell actually agreed to sign the Marriage Protest was what surprised me. We don't see a lot of men willing to give up that kind of power over their wives before and during this time period. Was he a women's rights activist? -- Jennifer Feldhaus

I too was interested in Henry Blackwell's signing of the protest and the omission of his own social fate. It seems to me that he would be an even greater target among the men of the community. I would believe he would be seen as unable to control his wife, a crucial role in the ideal. I also wonder how their marriage was recognized. Lucy Stone and Henry Blackwell's protest has obvious parallels with one of today's greatest issues. --Robert Kopp

--I'm another person who found Blackwell's role in the marriage protest far more interesting and worth investigating than Stone's. --A. Meyer

--- Although I can see why my fellow classmates might find Blackwell more interesting because he gave up traditional male power when he married Lucy Stone, I think it is interesting to see both of these individuals as they really tried to make a partnership based on something more than the idea of separate spheres. They were very forward thinking and if I ever get married I would consider acting in a similar way. (I would at least make the "obey" part of vows go both ways or strike it entirely). Julie Castanien   

When I read the piece, "Seduced and Abandoned," in the Woloch book, I could not help but start laughing.  I understand that it is not a laughing matter that girl was abandoned by her "fiance" and had to become a prostitute, but the way in which it was written screamed propaganda.  The way the innocent girl from the country was persuaded to elope by a villain from the city and then was decoyed into becoming a prostitute only until meeting up with a wholesome man from her hometown is just too unreal.  It is amazing how this scenario is consistently used and tweaked to support different causes.  But it really shows how the moral reform movement was determined to deliver people to the side of God and how women were at the forefront since the piece was obviously written by a woman. -Kelly Wuyscik

I agree with Kelly about "Seduced and Abandoned" being so blantantly propagandistic.  I have read many similar stories in literature of the day.  I wonder, however, how common a story this really was. ''' I realize that it's not exactly something we can get statistics on.  I'm sure that it happened quite a bit.  However, it seems likely that at least some of these tales are either altered for effect or completely made up. I'm curious as to how the public perception of danger to their daughters compared with reality.''' --Ashley H.  

While reading "seduced and abandoned" all i could think about was the correlations between this piece of propaganda and the novel Charolette Temple.  Each have elements of "good girls" being convinced / tricked into leaving their parents behind, traveling to a new place they'd never been and being left destitute. I find it interesting that even though there around 100+ years between the publication of the novel and this piece of propaganda, the authors are still telling the same story.  What makes this story so popular? So powerful?  Since the same story is being told over and over again, what does it say about the states of society?--K. Vance

As much as this whole genre emerged as a clear propaganda, the desperate plight of a young woman who wasn't fully supported or who displeased her town or family in any "grievous" manner was something we don't seem to fully appreciate. I think Dr. McClurken's statistics last week suggested how many women turned to prostituion as the only way to support themselves, and I tihnk that's a serious misunderstanding for many modern American women who are paid much closer to equal wages and have ERA-esque salary protections.--A. Meyer 

I thought it was interesting that at the end of the "Seduced and Abandoned" piece, the author pretty much blames the parents for not teaching their children about the dangers of the world.  I may be mistaken, but to me this seems to contrast what we talked about on Tuesday about how "proper" women were supposed to be sheltered and were not even supposed to know that prostitution existed. - F. Cobb 

While it was obvious that "Seduced and Abandoned" was blatantly exaggerated for propaganda purposes, I wonder if any of it is even based on real-life occurrences. I mean, the story was supposedly related to the Advocate of Moral Reform by the girl herself. –Kaitlyn G. 

I was very intrigued by the '''Declaration of Sentiments drafted by Elizabeth Cady Stanton.  The way she manipulated the Declaration of Independence is the perfect example of women using revolutionary rhetoric to get what they want.'''  If you placed the two next to one another and asked someone to tell the difference, I think it would take quite a bit of reading (probably up until she starts blaming men for everything) before they could figure it out.  Stanton proved to be very clever and I just hope there were many more women like her fighting for what they believed. -Kelly Wuyscik

--- I admire Elizabeth Cady Stanton's ability to use rhetoric as well, and in particular I love the way she wrote the Declaration of Sentiments. As Alex mentions below it called women as well as men to realize and address the problems facing American Women. I think her transition from the traditional rhetoric of the revolutionary period to language that is more specific towards the station of women was great and showed her radicalism, "But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object, evinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their duty to throw off such government, and to provide new guards for their future security. Such has been the patient sufferance of the women under this government, and such is now the necessity which constrains them to demand the equal station to which they are entitled." --- Julie Castanien

'''I think this document shows some of the legal training Stanton was exposed to, reading her father (a judge)'s law books.''' As dramatic and over the top as this peace is, it sets out some of the grievances and problems, which the age of enlightenment believed was a necessary firs step for any revolutionary effort. I think this document is under-appreciated. --A. Meyer

In the Declaration of Sentiments I liked how they included that women need "to wise up" basically. '''They wrote that they need to no longer declare themselves satisfied with their present position or assert that they have all the rights they want.  Basically, stop accepting their lot just because that's how things are and start fighting it. I don't think they realized though that some women didn't see a problem with how things were.'''  In Sarah Josepha Hale's piece, for example, she says she is fine to not vote herself and is proud to vote by her proxies.  --Alex K.

When reading the Declaration of Sentiments, what struck me especially was the last passage, added exclusively by Lucretia Mott.  This section was peculiar, for not only did it continue the argument for the equality between men and women, it argued for equal participation in "various trades, professions, and commerce."  '''Basically Lucretia Mott was arguing for equal opportunity and pay in the workplace - a feat still in progress today.''' ~Juliann Boyles

In Woloch, the "Letter to the Liberator" piece really seemed to strike at the heart of women and their role in reform. and specifically this letter addresses slavery. "Woman has a place, for she forms a part in God's created intelligent instrumentality to reform the world. God never made her to be inactive - nor in all cases to follow in the wake of man... We believe God gave woman a heart to feel - an eye to weep - a hand to work - a tongue to speak. Now let her use that tongue to speak on slavery." Those words state that is every woman's right and responsibility and duty to play an active role in reform. -- Vanessa Smiley

I found it interesting that in the "letter to the liberator" that the author emphasizes the fact that slavery is happening here, in america.  She writes that slavery isn't happening in china or india or some other far off country but within the united states.  With such emphasis placed upon the idea that its happening here, I'm wondering how often people denied the practice of slavery with denial or a not in my backyard mentatlity.   On another note i find it interesting that she invokes Washington as the "protector of women and a friend of equality and human rights" when Washington, himself, owned slaves for all of his life.  It was only after his death that he made arrangments to free some of his slaves, but only after his wife, Martha Washington had died. On the other hand many of his slaves gained their freedom earlier than expect because Martha, fearing for her life and a slave rebellion, freed them.  However, that was slighly off topic. Basically, I'm wondering if people denied the exsistence of slavery or just choose to over look it giving emery and the society a reason to explicitly write that slavery was occuring here. --K. Vance

I enjoyed the rhetoric of liberty and patriotism used in the "Letter to the Liberator."  Emery writes, "Is not woman abused--woman trampled upon---woman spoiled of her virtue . . . and this, not in India---not in China---not in Turkey---not in Africa---but in America . . . in the birthplace of Washington, the father of freedom, the protector of women, the friend of equality and human rights!"  Emery reminds Americans of their own fight for freedom, and she calls for America to become a morally superior nation.  Even the use of the phrase, "On such a creed, we base the constitution, which binds us together," feels reminiscent of the writings of the founding fathers. ---Ashley H.    



I thought it was very interesting to read about Sojourner Truth and how she felt about the situtation and the rehtoric that she used.  Up until this point the majority of women we have heard from have been white, middle-upper class women with very good educations.  But here is a woman who was a slave, who cannot read or write.  She was also deeply religious and I thought it was very interesting to read her speach and reading the various Biblical references that she makes to prove her point, as well as using her life story to express her belief in women's rights. --Mary P.

I also enjoyed Sojourner Truth's piece.  It was interesting to see how different the two version were.  The one recollection written twelve years after the actual speech is the more famous one, though the first one is probably the most accurate.  Why do you think the second author made these changes? - F. Cobb  

It was interesting to read that when Elizabeth Cady Stanton urged women to secure the vote in the “Declaration of Sentiments” other women’s rights supporters felt it would make the “whole movement ridiculous.”  I am sure that none of them could imagine that 
the right of suffrage would end up becoming the cornerstone of the women’s rights movement.  
It was really interesting that Lucy Stone decided to get married and at the same time challenged the institution of marriage which had forced women to give up their rights.   I found it remarkable that she even had her husband sign a “marriage protest” and the document was published in a newspaper.  We’ve read about other women who have refused to get married because they did not want to lose their rights but Mrs. Stone was the first one who challenged the marriage system of her day.-Caitlin Quinn

I also thought it was interesting that securing the vote for women almost didn't appear in the Seneca Falls Convention's Declaration of Sentiments because of support issues. Now it's really the first thing anyone thinks about when they hear the word Seneca Falls Convention. Maybe people though that women would be asking for too much in too short of a time period if they included voting. Or maybe they though that it would overshadow some of the other things they were trying to accomplish. -- Jennifer Feldhaus 
 
It amazes me that almost every arguement used for or against Women's rights involved biblical references. Women arguesd God made them just as intelligent and capable as men and men, like the editor of Harper's Magazine, argued that the Women's rights movements were "opposed as it was to divine revelation, time-honored proprieties, and biblical authority." (158) I wonder what the arguements would be if God, The Creator, or religion weren't allowed to be invovled.  Even though during this period the Great Awakening was peaking, I wonder what women who did not follow that movement and were less-religious thought. What were their arguements? "The American Femal More Refore Society Warns Mothers About "Solitary Vice" was to me a hysterical piece. I found it particularly funny that they called it a "body and ''soul-destroying'' sin." -- Emily Miller

I thought the article on Sojourner Truth was very interesting.  It was great to get her perspective on women't rights. I agree with Mary P that her use of Biblical references were a great way to make her point and the fact that as a slave she probably worked harder everyday than a lot of white men did at the time just proved that women could do anything the men could do. 
I also found the Marriage Protest by Lucy Stone interesting to say the least.  That is definately extreme feminism for that time.  I can see why she was "ridiculed and persecuted" but if you are that against the ideas of marriage at that time why go through a marriage at all? Why not stay single and just live together? Although I don't know how radical that idea would have been at the time but at least you kept your identity. ~~ Mary Beth Conrad

I found the first 2 documents in MP pages 141- 143 a bit too flowery.  The woman who is addressing the other ladies paints a lovely picture of all the good that they have accomplished for the poor.  It makes me wonder if they spent most of their time patting their selves on the back rather than doing foot work on the street helping out the poor. ---Cheryl

The two documents by Isabella Graham were a bit flowery, but it is interesting to note that she says "the men could not allow our sex the steadiness and perserverance necessary to establish such an undertaking." It is so interesting how women are really beginning to use the 'us vs. them' approach when talking about women and men. Girl Power! -- Allison Johnson

I, too, enjoyed the speech by Sojourner Truth, but what I found most interesting was the inclusion of southern dialect by Frances Gage. Obviously, being that Sojourner was from a Dutch-speaking New York family, her accent would have been anything but Southern. Perhaps by making Sojourner sound like a Southern slave, Gage was trying to appeal to Southern slaveowners. When Gage wrote this version of Sojourner's speech, it was during the Civil War and at the height of the Abolitionist movement. This context obviously influenced how/what she chose to emphasize from Sojourner's speech.- Lisa Wilkerson

I really enjoyed the essay on Sojourner Truth.  She spoke well on equal rights.  Her comparisons of physical strengths and intelligence as qualifiers for equal rights should have been an eye opener for all there.  She showed that women could be physically strong, intelligent and take a great amount of pain.  I like when she spoke how someone had said women can’t have equal rights because Jesus wasn’t a women.  I have heard similar musing before in women’s groups how all men come from women.  She is a very inspiring speaker.---Cheryl

One of the things that stood out to me about Sojourner Truth Speaks was that not only did she use biblical references in a way she seemed to be challenging the traditional held views of the church, especially when she talks about how since Eve did sin first men should stop holding women back but instead allow them a chance to make up for what "they" did. -Elizabeth Frank

In the essay "Free Black Women in the Abolitionist Movement" I found all the different factors that made it more acceptable for black women to speak publicly very interesting. While female speakers are still not fully accepted by all, the need that black men saw for the abolition cause seems to temporarily out weigh gender stereotypes. -- Allison Johnson

I also enjoyed the "Free Black Women in the Abolitionist Movement" piece.  The three sources of hostility (anti-black feelings, anti-abolitionist sentiments, and hatred of "public" women) were interesting.  There were so many obstacles they had to overcome in order to be heard and taken seriously. In addition to these obstacles, they also had several conditions to make sure not to piss people off.  For example, black male leaders applauded black women speakers until they began to criticize black men, black women they were more acceptable for audiences if they exuded "feminine qualities," women writers generally only found an audience when they wrote on "feminine" subjects and black women poets and essayists were able publish works mainly only with the aid of prominent abolitionists. They had a lot working against them.  --Alex K.
  
The "Seduced and Abandoned" article portrayed the young girl in the story as kinda mindless.  She is just an innocent young girl swept up by the objective evil that causes her to fall into bad things.  Her rescue, is kinda odd, since the business man from her village just happened to go to the circus that one time, as a grand exception.  Of course, he saves her.  Such a story is in direct contrast with the other articles, such as "O, Ye Daughters of Africa, Awake!" and "Reply to the Massachusetts Clergy."  I certainly don't think that some girls did end up in terrible situations that they could not forsee, but I do get the sense that these grand moral reform ideas implicitly included female mindlessness.  I suppose it all relates to women being the passionless, moral barometer of society who only have experience in the pure household.  Of course, Sarah Grimke made the exact opposite statement when she wrote that womens displacement from equality has "introduced confusion into the world." pg 239  For her, inequality is the problem, for the minister she is responding to, it is equality.  Its such a polarized mindset.  I wonder if Lucy and Henry's marriage was deemed null if they signed agreements that were in direct contrast with the law regarding marriage at the time...  -Chris Plummer


The piece “Free Black Women in the Abolitionist Movement” touched briefly on the gender and race expectations of the time and how women reformers rebelled against these stereotypes. I know some of the pieces touched upon the idea of solidarity under the title “women,” yet pieces in both Woloch and Norton touched upon the idea of white reformers vs. black reformers. I was wondering how clear a divide there was between white and black reformers? White and black abolitionists? White and black suffragists? I know in the 1960s women’s movement, there was a great division among various ethnic lines; I’m wondering whether anyone knows if a similar race divide existed? Were black abolitionists/suffragists seeking rights different or separate from white women? Were there issues they both agreed on and fought for?                        --Mary Beth Dilla

My question is in regards to Sojourner Truth.  What I want to know is if she faced double the amount of prejudice that other women's rights activists faced since she was African American as well as a woman.  ~Katherine Stinson~

We've spent a lot of time talking about activism and reformers and how the middle class reformer was created. Most of these women attempted to conform their lifestyles to that mold, while espousing views that radically challenged the tenets of the middle class family ideal. I'm very interested in how someone like Sojourner Truth could be so welcomed by reformers, and how this transformation to reform efforts that directly challenged the root of the reforming era because they tackled the middle class ideal. --A. Meyer

When reading Sarah Grimke's piece, I was really astonished about how progressive it was.  I was under the impression, that even though the moral reformists and abolitionists pushed their gender roles outside their expected spheres, they still maintained relatively conservative lifestyles to todays's standard, but Grimke's rhetoric reminded me of a 1960s feminist. One part in particular that really brings the 20th century liberal movement to mind is Grimke's comment that "whatever is right for man to do, is right for woman to do," a perfect slogan for a Title 9 activist. ~Juliann Boyles