W4 - Enfranchisement of Women - Harriet Taylor Overview

Harriet Taylor and the Enfranchisement of Women

  • Harriet Taylor (1807-1858)
    • English suffragist and essayist, recognized posthumously for significant contributions to John Stuart Mill’s works, notably "The Subjection of Women" (1869).
    • Faced scandal for living separately from her husband and dedicated herself to her work with Mill, marrying him in 1851 after her husband's death in 1849.
    • "Enfranchisement of Women" was originally published in The Westminster Review under Mill's name.
Organized Agitation for Women's Rights
  • Emergence of organized movements in the U.S. advocating for women’s enfranchisement, legally and socially equal to men.
  • Uniquely, the movement is driven by women themselves rather than by male advocates.
Core Resolutions from the Convention
  1. Right to Vote:
    • Every adult required to obey laws must have a voice in their enactment; therefore, women are entitled to suffrage and eligibility for office.
  2. Legal Equality:
    • Civil and political rights should not differentiate based on sex; the term "male" should be removed from state constitutions.
  3. Access to Professions:
    • Equal opportunities in civil and professional employments must be opened to women for them to utilize their educational advantages.
  4. Revise Property Laws:
    • Laws affecting married couples’ property rights need reformation for equal control and inheritance rights.
Key Demands for Change
  • Access to education across all institutions (primary, secondary, colleges) for women.
  • Equal rights in labor, allowing for shared benefits and responsibilities.
  • Equal participation in governance through all levels of legislation and law administration.
Philosophical Foundations
  • The foundational principle invokes the Declaration of Independence, asserting that all are created equal and entitled to rights, including voting and jury service.
  • The movement parallels the past abolitionist struggle against racial inequality, drawing similarities between race and gender discrimination.
Critique of Customary Gender Roles
  • Objections to Change:
    • Prejudicial notions rooted in custom argue against women’s rights, but these customs stem from physical force and historical inequalities.
  • Many view the restricted roles of women as justified by tradition, yet this overlooks the evolving societal norms.
  • Institutions favoring male dominance are challenged as outdated, calling for reforms towards equality.
The Case for Equality
  • The argument posits that all human beings should have the opportunity to fulfill their capacities unbound by arbitrary social limitations.
  • Social and intellectual stagnation occurs when women are kept subordinate; integration of men and women in various spheres promotes overall societal advancement.
Conclusion and Call to Action
  • To deny women their rights is an affront to justice; tax representation should be equal for all, extending suffrage to women.
  • The appeal for women’s suffrage is framed as a matter of principle, not merely convenience, urging a reevaluation of social norms and legal structures to achieve justice and equality for all.
Historical Context
  • The ongoing struggle for civil rights has revealed deep-seated issues within the context of male and female relations in society, advocating a reexamination of gender roles and politics.
  • Taylor’s arguments, as recorded in her resolutions and essays, serve as foundational texts for contemporary movements toward gender equality and women's rights.