First-wave Feminism

The first wave of feminism occurred in the 19th and early 20th century. The beginning of this movement is usually connected to the Seneca Falls Convention, a women's rights convention that took place in New York in July, 1848. The first convention of its kind, its purpose was to facilitate discussion about "the social, civil, and religious conditions and rights of women," and it ended up inspiring several similar meetings in locations such as Rochester and Massachusetts. The convention was organized by a group of Quakers along with Elizabeth Cady Stanton, a leading figure early on in the movement for women's rights. Stanton, who helped pen the Declaration of Sentiments, one of the key papers put forward for review at the conference, co-wrote the History of Woman Suffrage, in which she restated her belief that Seneca Falls marked the beginning of the women's rights movement. As said by Judith Wellman, a historian at the convention, this very Declaration was "the single most important factor in spreading news of the women's rights movement around the country" at the time.

The idea of increased social opportunities and liberties for women was kindled even earlier, though, starting from the Second Great Awakening in the early 19th century. The newly established religious freedoms of this time set the tone for greater advancements for women in society, seeing as the mindset of the time was gradually favoring emotion over societal standards. The very same Protestant ideas that gave way to this way of thinking also connected to the temperance and abolition movements, which also motivated women to act out.

The movement had an emphasis on legal issues as opposed to moral arguments, and dealt largely with obtaining suffrage. Over time, the movement gained steam with notable activists like Susan B. Anthony joining the cause. In addition to Stanton and Lucretia Mott, another supporter of women's suffrage, Lucy Stone organized the National Women's Rights Convention. Many of these women were abolitionists as well as suffragists, showing the common bond in the fight for freedom, despite the fact that this connection was hard to see at first. In 1920, the 19th Amendment was ratified, giving women the right to vote after a long, hard-fought battle.

https://blogs.stockton.edu/postcolonialstudies/domesticity-and-kitchens/american-feminism/first-wave-feminism/
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