Compare the position of middle class and working class women between 1800 and 1914. How true is it to say that women's opportunities had not advanced significantly during this period?

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Compare the position of middle class and working class women between 1800 and 1914. How true is it to say that women’s opportunities had not advanced significantly during this period?

The period of 1800 to 1914 was a time of significant change in Britain. The industrial revolution was well underway, as Britain’s growth as a major Imperial power continued throughout the century. The expansion of the Empire and Britain’s colonies meant that the country became a huge economic force. This led to increased opportunities for many, with the introduction of new technology and machinery. The changes in political, economic and social spheres encapsulated the attitudes of the era, and should in theory have led to political independence and change for all groups of society, including women. However, women’s opportunities remained limited during this period despite huge progress in numerous fields. In order to assess the progress, continuities and the pace of change for women during the 19th century, it is necessary to examine five key areas; education, work, marriage, prostitution and suffrage. These are all key themes of women’s opportunities, and the development of women’s status during the period.

In the eyes of Dr Johnson, an accurate description of women’s position in respect of marriage during the 19th century was that “the chastity of women is of all importance, as all property depends upon it.” There were very few people that spoke out against this oppression. One of the first radical feminists to take a stand against the injustice of the treatment of women was Mary Wollstonecraft, and her controversial writing “The Vindication of the Rights of Women” was not well received. It can be argued that property depended on more than just the “chastity of women” but whether this is in fact entirely true is contentious.

As written by Wollstonecraft, women in the 19th century were “not allowed to have sufficient strength of mind to acquire what really deserves the name of virtue.” They were largely not taken seriously as anything other than “property.” Later, it is also stated that “obedience and propriety will obtain for them the protection of man;” such protection was imperative to a woman’s existence at the time, when opportunities for a comfortable living outside of marriage were rare. In the view of historian R. Whitfield, “the conventional view of a family was that a wife’s role was subordinate to her husband.” The way in which a woman behaved was a key factor in her eligibility to marry in the eyes of society, and therefore a key factor in the expansion of her opportunities, rendering them highly limited.

Reasons for marriage at the time were vast. It was the natural order of events for a woman to marry, as she had few other prospects. Economic necessity often played a part, as marriage could bring wealth into a family, enable a woman to live comfortably, and avoid destitution. This was an agreeable alternative to remaining single and being forced to find work, for both the middle and lower classes. Women were prevented from gaining a decent education and discouraged from working. Finding employment was difficult as they were barred from most professions, and any work they undertook was poorly paid.

Marriage was, particularly among the influential families of the middle classes, a tool to ensure that a small family network remained powerful in local politics. Suitable matches between families were crucial in order to secure generations; therefore women were often “sold to the highest bidder.”

Among the working classes, reasons for marriage were much less political. Women were often “chosen” to marry according to their domestic abilities such as cooking, cleaning and ability to bear children.

19th century marital legislation regarding women was virtually non-existent. In the eyes of the law, a woman had no legal identity except that of her husband, and this meant she had no control over property, even her own. When a woman married, all her assets became her husbands by default. Within marriage, the chastity of women remained of utmost importance, as due to the inequalities of the law regarding divorce, women who committed adultery could be cut off, leaving everything in the hands of their husband. An important example regarding marriage and property law is that of Caroline Norton; a feminist. After her husband wrongly attempted to sue her for adultery, she campaigned for changes in the law to enhance women’s rights with regard to marital legislation. He also prevented her having access to her children, who were in the law’s eyes his “property,” Norton wrote The Natural Claim of a Mother to the Custody of her Children as affected by the Common Law Rights of the Father, a pamphlet explaining the unfairness of her situation, and A Plain Letter to the Lord Chancellor on the Law of Custody of Infants. For the first time in history, a woman had openly challenged the law that discriminated against women. Her campaign led to the Custody of Children Act in 1839; a legislative change which meant that for the first time, women had claim on their children over that of their husband’s. This was a vast step forward in terms of the rights of women, and is an example of one point of progress in terms of women’s opportunities.

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Another group who campaigned to reform property laws was the Married Women’s Property Committee. In 1870, the Married Women’s Property Act was introduced, meaning that women were allowed to retain control of money they earned for themselves. This was a great boon for many, particularly working class women, as the likelihood of obtaining employment was greater for them than for the middle classes, as few middle class women were able to earn their own money. The act was amended in 1882, meaning that women were able to control some “separate” property; however, none of the bills stated property could be ...

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