Identity, Ideas, Beliefs, and Culture 1801–1848 - AP U.S. History

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Passage adapted from Elizabeth Cady Stanton's "Address on Women's Rights" (1848)

Let us now glance at some of the popular objections to this whole question. There is a class of men who believe in the natural inborn, inbred superiority both in body and mind and their full complete Heaven descended right to lord it over the fish of the sea, the fowl of the air, the beast of the field and last tho' not least the immortal being called woman. I would recommend this class to the attentive perusal of their Bibles—to historical research, to foreign travel—to a closer observation of the manifestations of mind about them and to an humble comparison of themselves with such women as Catharine of Russia, Elizabeth of England distinguished for their statesmanlike qualities, Harriet Martineau and Madame de Stael for their literary attainments, or Caroline Herschel and Mary Summerville for their scientific researches, or for physical equality to that whole nation of famous women the Amazones. We seldom find this class of objectors among liberally educated persons, who have had the advantage of observing their race in different countries, climes, and under different phases, but barbarians tho' they be in entertaining such an opinion—they must be met and fairly vanquished.

Which of the following best represents the "whole question" that Elizabeth Cady Stanton speaks of in the opening sentence?

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Answer

Elizabeth Cady Stanton was one of the leading lights of the women's rights movements from the 1840s until her death in 1902. Apart from identifying Stanton, the passage itself makes clear what she is referring to as "the whole question" multiple times. She challenges the notion of "inbred superiority" of men over women, enumerates remarkable women in history, and asserts that educated people do not hold the prejudices she rails against.

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