Living The Legacy The Womens Rights Movement 1848-1998 Essays

Living the Legacy: The Women's Rights Movement 1848-1998 Matchmaker.com: Sign up now for a free trial. Date Smarter! Living the Legacy: The Women's Rights Movement 1848-1998 "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has." That was Margaret Mead's conclusion after a lifetime of observing very diverse cultures around the world. Her insight has been borne out time and again throughout the development of this country of ours. Being allowed to live life in an atmosphere of religious freedom, having a voice in the government you support with your taxes, living free of lifelong enslavement by another person. These beliefs about how life should and must be lived were once considered outlandish by many. But these beliefs were fervently held by visionaries whose steadfast work brought about changed minds and attitudes. Now these beliefs are commonly shared across U.S. society. Another initially outlandish idea that has come to pass: United States citizenship for women. 1998 marks the 150th Anniversary of a movement by women to achieve full civil rights in this country. Over the past seven generations, dramatic social and legal changes have been accomplished that are now so accepted that they go unnoticed by people whose lives they have utterly changed. Many people who have lived through the recent decades of this process have come to accept blithely what has transpired. And younger people, for the most part, can hardly believe life was ever otherwise. They take the changes completely in stride, as how life has always been. The staggering changes for women that have come about over those seven generations in family life, in religion, in government, in employment, in education - these changes did not just happen spontaneously. Women themselves made these changes happen, very deliberately. Women have not been the passive recipients of miraculous changes in laws and human nature. Seven generations of women have come together to affect these changes in the most democratic ways: through meetings, petition drives, lobbying, public speaking, and nonviolent resistance. They have worked very deliberately to create a better world, and they have succeeded hugely. Throughout 1998, the 150th anniversary of the Women's Rights Movement is being celebrated across the nation with programs and events taking every form imaginable. Like many amazing stories, the history of the Women's Rights Movement began with a small group of people questioning why human lives were being unfairly constricted. A Tea Launches a Revolution The Women's Rights Movement marks July 13, 1848 as its beginning. On that sweltering summer day in upstate New York, a young housewife and mother, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, was invited to tea with four women friends. When the course of their conversation turned to the situation of women, Stanton poured out her discontent with the limitations placed on her own situation under America's new democracy. Hadn't the American Revolution had been fought just 70 years earlier to win the patriots freedom from tyranny? But women had not gained freedom even though they'd taken equally tremendous risks through those dangerous years. Surely the new republic would benefit from having its women play more active roles throughout society. Stanton's friends agreed with her, passionately. This was definitely not the first small group of women to have such a conversation, but it was the first to plan and carry out a specific, large-scale program. Today we are living the legacy of this afternoon conversation among women friends. Throughout 1998, events celebrating the 150th Anniversary of the Women's Rights Movement are looking at the massive changes these women set in motion when they daringly agreed to convene the world's first Women's Rights Convention. Within two days of their afternoon tea together, this small group had picked a date for their convention, found a suitable location, and placed a small announcement in the Seneca County Courier. They called "A convention to discuss the social, civil, and religious condition and rights of woman." The gathering would take place at the Wesleyan Chapel in Seneca Falls on July 19 and 20, 1848. In the history of western civilization, no similar public meeting had ever been called. A "Declaration of Sentiments" is Drafted These were patriotic women, sharing the ideal of improving the new republic. They saw their mission as helping the republic keep its promise of better, more egalitarian lives for its citizens. As the women set about preparing for the event, Elizabeth Cady Stanton used the Declaration of Independence as the framework for writing what she titled a "Declaration of Sentiments." In what proved to be a brilliant move, Stanton connected the nascent campaign for women's rights directly to

How does Shakespeare succeed attracting readers to Macbeth essays

How does Shakespeare succeed attracting readers to Macbeth essays No one can deny that Macbeth is a ruthless butcher and bloody fiend. He is a man of ambition who satisfies his ambition by a fair means or foul. His deeds are carried out by the hope for his success though he uses foul ways. While it is true that he is a fiend and a butcher, Shakespeare succeeded drawing a character that people draw to it. Why are people drawn to Macbeth by whom they must be repelled? Two reasons are suggested for the question. One reason is that Shakespeare aroused sympathy from the readers. By creating a character which is similar to the people, they agree with the Macbeth ¡Ã‚ ¯s decisions and circumstances as they are in his point of view. Macbeth is partly good and partly evil, well presented in the play when he suffers his conscience and commits crimes to reach his goal and fulfill his ambition. In act 1 scene 7, when Lady Macbeth inspires Macbeth the plotting Duncan, he refuses, saying,  ¡Ã‚ °We proceed no further in this business. ¡ It shows that he is also loyal to the king and he doesn ¡Ã‚ ¯t wish to desert his duty. While he is somewhat good in nature, he also has a dark side. In act 4 scene 1, Macbeth says,  ¡Ã‚ °To crown my thoughts with acts, be it thought and done; The castle of Macduff I will surprise, Seize upon Fife, give th ¡Ã‚ ¯ edge o ¡Ã‚ ¯ the sword His wife, his babes, and all unfortunate souls That trace him in his line. ¡ In this part, Macbeth meaninglessly murders Macduff ¡Ã‚ ¯s wife and children, which implies evil. However, even though he decides to reach the glory and murders several people, readers cannot blame him because they understand his circumstance, which is a chance to become a king, and know that Macbeth is not malicious by nature. For this reason, it is inevitable for them to justify Macbeth ¡Ã‚ ¯s behavior though they know his deeds are crimes. Another reason why people are drawn to Macbeth is that he showed the potentiality which is capable for a king. In other words, rea...

Reading and assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Reading and assignment - Essay Example They form the basis through which voters decide who to vote for in elections. In America, it has become a common practice in elections for voters to decide on a cause or a political party first before considering the candidates that they would vote for. For instance, most American voters are attached to either Republicans or Democrats political parties (Wilson, DiIulio & Bose, 2011). During the nomination of candidates within political parties, voters supporting a political party may differ on candidates, but in the general elections all members of a party will vote for their chosen candidate whether they nominated them or not. Candidates who belong to a party which has more members are most likely to win the elections. The main goal of electing public executives is to unite political parties and draw a distinguished feature from other groups. Determining who makes up or who leads a political party is difficult. However, a political as an electorate body may be described to include all citizens who identify themselves with the party whether they are registered members of the party or not (Santos, 2011). As long as they identify themselves as members or vote for the party in elections, then they may be considered as part of the political party. As an organization, a political party consists of institutions such as national committees who run the affairs of the party and ensure that everything is done in accordance with the goals of the party and towards the achievement of the political party’s objectives. Finally, a political party in government is composed of elected and appointed officials affiliated with the party. A good example of this is Barrack Obama’s government and the House A ssembly. Political parties play a key role in campaigns. The national party committees and legislative campaign committees recruit candidates and carry out