"Is it reasonable, that a candidate for immortality, for the sake of a few moments of novelty of existence, should be excluded from the paths of science and of literature? ... May we not hope that the next generation will be wiser, and more liberal than the present, and that we shall then see the female mind cultivated with that attention which is due to its importance?"
— Judith Sargent Murray, "On the Equality of the Sexes," 1790
The ideas expressed in the excerpt most directly reflect which of the following historical developments in the post-Revolutionary United States?
- AThe inclusion of explicit voting rights for women in the newly ratified United States Constitution.
- BThe rise of intense partisan conflict between Federalists and Democratic-Republicans over women's rights.
- The growing belief that women should receive education to help raise virtuous citizens for the republic.Answer
- DThe immediate transition of most American women into industrial factory jobs outside the home.
Answer
The growing belief that women should receive education to help raise virtuous citizens for the republic.
The correct answer is correct because the post-Revolutionary period saw the rise of 'Republican Motherhood,' the idea that women should be educated to raise virtuous, civic-minded sons to support the new republic. Judith Sargent Murray's writing directly advocates for cultivating the female mind to fulfill this republican duty.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
The concept of Republican Motherhood and its impact on female education in the post-Revolutionary era.