fAntonella has 13 post(s)

An event that happened that is perhaps related to the “degradation of women” was Kett’s rebellion. It had started due to anti-enclosure struggles in late 15th century that continues through to the 17th century. The rebellion had about 16,000 followers and were able to capture Norwich. Kett had presented 29 demands that would help decrease anti-enclosure by removing the hedges that had surrounded Norwich. A government army had attacked the rebels where a total of 3,500 people was killed. While Kett and his brother William were hanged. (Federici, 2004:82). Due to the deaths of Kett and William, the anti-enclosure struggles had continued. There was now a noticeable presence of women who were wives, widows, spinsters, unmarried daughters, and servants. There was a belief that said that women were above the law due to being legally saved by their husbands. Federici points out that men were told to dress like women so that they wouldn’t be arrested and because of this, the government had then removed this privilege and started arresting any women that was involved with the riots (2004:83). The enclosure had started to lead to the degradation of women because it was difficult for women to become vagabonds due to the nomadic life they would lead. The time of these enclosures the men had become more misogynistic and would resort to violence. Many women were unable to work and provide for their families. However, those women who did work could get work had gotten work in the armies as cooks, washers, prostitutes, and wives. Though even that work had disappeared, so women were back where they had started. Women had found that it became harder for them to support themselves compared to men. Many women were excluded from most occupations that had allowed a steady income. When women had worked, they would receive minor wages compared to the average male wage (Federici, 2004:84-85). I found this to be depressing since even though this act of women receiving less wages than men was during the 15th-17th centuries. It had seemed obvious that we would have evolved from this since we now live in the 21st century however women pay is still lower than men but better than before.

Angela Davis’s chapter on class and race in the Early Women rights campaign does draw reference to several key historical figures that were in attendance to The Seneca Falls Convention in the early 19^th century. Davis relies on using the historical figures and setting to inform the audience about how the relationship of gender, race, and class. The Seneca falls convention is known to be one of the starting point that lead to the beginning of the women suffrage movement. A name that Davis tends to repeat is Elizabeth Cady Stanton, a future women suffragist who worked alongside Susan B. Anthony. Mrs. Stanton was not much of a practiced activist besides her and her husband’s involvement in the abolitionist movement. However, she was seen only as the wife of an abolitionist but was allowed the right to be there due to the status of her husband’s position as a lawyer and her position as his wife (1981:52). Mrs. Stanton had most likely used the methods that she saw in these conferences to help her during the Seneca Falls convention. Though Davis believes Mrs. Stanton was in some form of handicap due to her lack of perspective that was created by several years of struggle that had protected a women’s right to help in contributing to the anti-slavery movement (1981:52). A different key figure at the convention was Charlotte Woodward. Charlotte was a different class from Elizabeth, she was a working woman but only through her home since she was a glovemaker. The wages she had from making the gloves would back to the men in her family (1981:61). As mentioned by Davis, she alleged that the working women were thought to be more serious about women’s right then the other part of their lives (1981:61). Both their gender and race has helped these two women received chances to attend the convention. However, there is a woman who have attended the convention and went regardless if she was invited or not due to the color of her. That women’s name is Sojourner Truth. Sojourner was an ex slave but that didn’t mean that was any less of a woman. According to Davis, many white women would forget that black women were in the same situation as them, sojourner presence reminded those in the convention that black women  are still women the same as them(1981:69).

Hi my name is Antonella Diaz and I’m a transfer Junior  Hunter College. I earned my Associates in Science from Borough of Manhattan Community College. I am an Early Childhood Education and English .In the future, I hope to become a pre-k teacher and work towards a master degree. I have yet to have a gender studies class but I am currently taking Women centered literature and Gender,sexuality and history  this semester.This class would help better understand  not only these classes but also help me better understand how we have evolved from the past and how can we evolve further.