History of the Evolution of Women's Rights

Until the mid-19th century, women were considered possessions of their husbands, and had no control over their money or property. Thanks to the women’s right movement, this has all changed and things run a little differently now. Spouses are now equal under the law and property is shared between them.

In the common law, all women’s property except land and improvements went to her husband and it became under his control. “She” pretty much had no say in what happened to any of her things. Women were slowly losing all of their rights. If the husband wrote in his will that everything was his and none of it would be given to his wife, then the wife pretty much had no property if the husband died before her. If they had a kid when they were married and he died it would be under his will what happened to the child. The wife had no say in what guardians could be put down for the child. So if the husband did not want to put her in his will then when he died she would no longer have guardianship of her children.

During the nineteenth century, states started making laws enhancing a married woman’s disabilities. These laws were to make a married woman an equal to her spouse. For example they would be equal in respect to contracts, earnings, the ownership of property, and the right to sue or to be sued. “These acts abolished the spouse unity doctrine which is a common law doctrine which held that the husband had all the rights to the possession”

The acts all varied in spans when they were passed. The majority of states passed similar acts in the 1850’s. The first was passed by Connecticut in 1809 allowing women to write wills.Its impact on owning more property was very low do it was not considered the first act passed. Mississippi start...

... middle of paper ...

...g miserable lives like they were before these acts were passed. A lot has changed since they were passed. The world is a different place with women being able to own and do the things they wish to do. Without women now days, the world would be a very bad place. Nobody would be successful. Believe it or not women have had a huge impact on the world today. Many of the things in the world were made from women. Women have made the world a better place then what it was many years ago.

The Married Women’s Act took many different years to actually be passed. But when it finally was passed, the women had better opportunities in their lives. The years did vary that different acts were passed. But all in all the act was finally passed all together. It varied from year to year, different months, and different places. But when it was finally passed women finally had it all.