Some Phases of the History of the Woman's Movement in Tennessee

The discussion of the woman's movement in this thesis will not refer exclusively to feminine operations for equal suffrage, but will include, also, the intellectual, the political, the humanitarian, and the economic development of women. One cannot say dogmatically that on such a day in such a month of such a year woman started to free herself from her inferior position. The woman's movement, like other great movements, has been in the process of evolution during a long period of time. In practice, woman's position has varied from age to age; but, in theory, woman has not been considered an equal of man until recently. In the first quarter of the nineteenth century a tangible movement was initiated for the emancipation and development of woman. Some aspects of this movement in the United States will be discussed in this chapter. In later chapters some aspects of this movement in Tennessee will be discussed.