Women Writers through the 17th and 18th Century
Mairanda Henline
When we look at activist movements, we often refer back to history. Who was the leading voice back then and what actions did they proceed to take to make a change; to have a voice? We should always remember the first activists and what they experienced or underwent for us; to enlighten our cause to push forward, and hopefully one day we can give the same encouragement to future generations. Although there was not a word for feminist back in the 17th through 19th century, there were many who sought out freedom and voiced out injustice for women. It was taboo and often you were ostracized or worse, if you spoke out on the oppression of women’s rights. There was a distinct culture back in early America; one of which women were viewed as possessions or property by either their husbands or families. The four texts below are written by women in this set time frame. A most scary industrious effort for a woman to have an opinion at such a time and to go further into the confines’ of their lives, their thoughts, their perspective; yet these women did so. Some of these essays, poems, memoirs are written by women who had an educated background, some not. These different socio-economic and ethnic backgrounds give a well roundedness of these women and the age of which they grew up in. I hope by reading the following below can give another fire within you to keep on this movement, to have the momentum, the inspiration to keep your voice and to hopefully ensue more to follow. These women were brave and still are, they hold something wise within their writings, and it is strength and courage. I hope you enjoy.
From The Memoirs of Mrs. Abigail Bailey by Abigail Abbot Bailey
Abigail Abbot Bailey wrote her memoir in 1763. She grew up in New Hampshire with her family, which of whom were considered Congregationalists and well known. She married at the age of twenty-two to a man, Asa Bailey who was assumed to be respectable. Hopeful for their marriage, Abigail was open with love in her heart hoping her new partner would be the same. Abigail, the author of her own story, writes of the horrible and cruel attributes about her husband. He was physically abusive to both her and her daughter, was accused of raping another woman who worked on their farm, raped her and laid hands on her daughter. Asa paid for these vicious and criminal acts, and Abigail taking a stand, divorced him. She spent the rest of her days penniless but she was an independent woman. The strength Abigail had to leave everything she knew back in the mid 1700’s was an endeavor which was not practiced and frowned upon. Her strength and perseverance to be her own women was and is simply amazing.
On Equality of the Sexes by Judith Sargent Murray
This poem explores the two sexes, their roles, but also how one does not need to be labeled with certain tasks because one is defined as male or female. Judith writes of how both can have interchangeable roles and live in harmony. She talks about knowledge; wisdom and science, wishing women were able to have roles in those studies. The author herself was born into a fairly wealthy family in 1751. Her parents having more liberal ideologies allowed her to study with her brother. The subject of the poem gives a better idea of the world in which she wished to live in. One which allowed men and women to be viewed equally and to attain the same amount of education; her writing is quite moving not only for her time but for ours as well.
Verses Written by a Young Lady, on Women Born to be Controll’d! By Anonymous
The title itself could give an idea of what the verses are about. There is no denying the anger within the title or the rest of the poem. The author talks of the injustice, the first sentence states as such, “How wretched is a woman’s fate, No happy change her fortune knows.” (Klages, 2004) She goes on to say that she is tired of men controlling how she lives, how she eats, how she walks and even how she should think. The textbook, The Aunt Lute Anthology of U.S. Women Writers, states that they do not know the authors name. This was quite popular back in the 1700’s through 1900’s for women to go under aliases or use just initials. I thought of this passage to be very fitting for women of this time for it shows the hardships of women trying to express and publish their work. This poem was written in 1743, a time of great oppression for women.
Lecture by Maria W. Miller Stewart
Maria gave this lecture on September 21, 1832 at the Franklin Hall in Boston. This amazing woman gave this speech for the convention of politics for Blacks Boston. Her parents both free from slavery, moved to Hartford Connecticut. She was orphaned at the age of five and served for a clergyman until she was fifteen. She married a few years later to James Stewart who was a founding member of the Massachusetts General Colored Association. After his death, Maria found little comfort and decided to go back to religion for guidance. This is where she found her voice to speak out on the injustice for African Americans as well as women. Her lecture goes into such detail of how we are all God’s children; therefore there should not be any divide between coloreds, men and women etc. Her speech is more than moving, it is powerful with words of sorrow and hope. Given her background and the age she grew up in, there is no denying the strength of this woman; wanting peace, justice and equality for all. This piece is insightful. It is a read I would highly suggest.
Works Cited
Klages, L. M. (2004). The Aunt Lute Anthology of U.S. Women Writers. In L. M. Klages, The Aunt Lute Anthology of U.S. Women Writers (pp. 123–163). San Francisco: Aunt Lute Books.
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