American Feminism: First Wave Women's Movement (USA)

Literary/ Cultural Context Essay

Yvonne Johnson (Central Missouri State University)
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The first wave of the U.S. Women's Movement in the United States began in 1848 with the first Women's Convention held at Seneca Falls, New York and ended with the 19th Amendment to the U. S. Constitution in 1920 granting women suffrage in national politics.

The Beginning

The Beginning

Elizabeth Cady Stanton was the founder and philosopher of the early woman's rights movement in the United States. She became its chief writer and speaker, dedicating much of her life to defining its goals while exploring the nature and causes of woman's subordinate position in society. She was just a little child when she became conscious of the repressive elements in her own life. Elizabeth was born in 1815 in Johnstown, New York, one of 6 children (5 daughters and one son). She soon realized that all her

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Citation: Johnson, Yvonne. "American Feminism: First Wave Women's Movement (USA)". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 22 January 2008 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/stopics.php?rec=true&UID=4153, accessed 06 October 2024.]

4153 American Feminism: First Wave Women's Movement (USA) 2 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

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