First-wave+Feminism

==== First Wave Feminism was the “first major organized women’s resistance to sexism and [|patriarchy] in the US sprung out of the [|abolitionist movement] ,” (Tyson, 2011). This resistance began in the nineteenth century and ended in the early twentieth century. The locations of the first wave feminist movements were in the United Kingdom and The United States of America (Feminism in Waves, 2007). Education, employment and the marriage laws were the key concerns of First Wave Feminism. The people involved in the First Wave movement were not primarily concerned with the problems of the working class women nor did they see themselves as feminist (the term feminist was not coined until 1895) (First Wave Feminism, No date). They largely responded to injustices they had themselves experienced. “Women who opposed the institution of slavery soon realized that they were also suffering inequalities under the racist, sexist, classist system of government in the United States,”( Tyson, 2011). In an effort to get rid of these inequalities, a group of brave people decided to voice their opinions despite all the negative feedbacks they will receive from people who do not agree with this. At first these efforts were not going anywhere, but with hard work and time, the word of the First Wave Feminist movement was able to spread vastly across the United States and United Kingdom. ====

**__People Involved __**
====There are countless amounts of people who were involved in the First Wave in the United Kingdom and The United States. Most of the people in the movement were women. Some men were involved in the First Feminist Wave but there was only a few of them. Some of the main people involved were Mary Wollstonecraft, Susan B. Anthony, Lucy Stone, Olympia Brown, and Helen Pitts (Feminism in Waves, 2007). One of the most famous, if not the most famous, American feminist during this wave was Sojourner Truth. She delivered her most famous speech, “Ain’t I a woman?” in 1851 at the Women’s Convention in Akron, Ohio (Truth, 1851). She not only campaigned for a woman's right to vote, she was //the// first woman to vote in a Michigan state election. Sojourner Truth not only was able to accomplish her goal of a right to vote, but she did so while being an African American women. (Arens, 2011) ==== ====In the United Kingdom, a group of middle class women, who were led by Barbara Bodichon and Bessie Rayner Parkes, met to discuss topical issues and publish the English Woman's Journal. Their headquarters were located at Langham Place in London. These efforts were huge because it gave women their own journal to read. Also, since it was a published journal, anyone could read about the feminist movement. They were able to get the word out there of the First Wave movement and recruit other people to help fight for their cause (First Wave Feminism, No date). ====

**__ Actions and Efforts __**
==== Even though there were thousands of people involved, there were a couple //main// actions and efforts these people did to spread and inform people about the feminist movement. Some of the actions were a bit more drastic then others but the people of the First Wave movement were going to whatever it takes to get equal rights. These main actions were educating the public about writings by and about women’s status, marches, protests, fasting, and intentional arrest and imprisonment. Some of the more drastic actions were heard all over the country because never before did women try so hard to get equal rights since the United States was created. There were many people, such as Sojourner Truth, that gave very moving speeches that lit a spark in people to get out there and help with the efforts of the people who began the First Wave movement. (Tyson, 2011) Without the brave efforts of these women, inequalities could still be strong today. Instead, inequalities are quickly diminishing away and could soon be nonexistent. ====

**__ Result __**
==== The result of all of these courageous efforts resulted in many smaller successes followed by the biggest success of all, the 19th Amendment. Some of these major achievements were the opening of higher education for women, reform of the girls’ secondary school system, married women’s property rights ( Married Women’s Property Act of 1870), and some improvements in divorced and separated women’s child custody rights(First Wave Feminism, No date). The enaction of the 19th amendment was the defining moment for the first wave even though it happened after decades of the efforts mentioned above (Tyson, 2011). Most people consider the first-wave to have ended when the Nineteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was passed, granting women the right to vote. (Feminism in Waves, 2007) ====

**__ Effects on Sexual Communication __**
====Since women are now in the pursuit of becoming equal, they will be able to receive the information and resources that men were able to get. Specifically, women were able to receive better sexual communication than they were receiving while being unequal. Women wrote magazines and journals that can inform each other about sexual communication so the facts about STD’s and pregnancy can be known to all women and not just men. Also since they can vote now, women can choose to elect people that are open about sexual communication and feminism. Whatever opinion a certain person has about controversy things such as abortions can now vote for a person whose side they agree with. Women and men can now all sexual communicate without unequal biases or being restricted to certain information because of your gender. ==== ====__References __ ==== ====Arens, R. (2011, March 1). //A Month of Awes ome Women: Sojourner Truth //. Retrieved from ==== ====BlogHer website: [] ====

====Feminism in Waves: A Brief Overview of the First, Second and Third Wave. (2007, October 1). ====

====First Wave Feminism. (n.d.). What do the terms 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Wave Feminism mean? ====

Retrieved from Georgetown College website:
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====Truth, S. (n.d.). //Ain't I a Woman?// [Speech]. Retrieved from http://www.feminist.com/resources/ ==== ====artspeech/genwom/sojour.htm ====

====Tyson, M. (2011, March 7). Day 7- Waves of the Women’s Movement in the US. Retrieved fro m [] ====

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