Woman in the Nineteenth Century (1845; 1855 edition)

The book opens with

Because women do not hold property on equal terms with men, their cause may well be pleaded by a party like the anti-slavery one

Their wordsIt may well be an Anti-Slavery party that pleads for Woman, if we consider merely that she does not hold property on equal terms with men; so that, if a husband dies without making a will, the wife, instead of taking at once his place as head of the family, inherits only a part of his fortune, often brought him by herself, as if she were a child, or ward only, not an equal partner.

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Margaret Fuller did not write this page.

Every claim below was made in this book, quoted word for word and numbered in the order the piece makes them, so you can read it there rather than take our word for it. The book prints chapter headings its extracted text does not preserve, so the claims below are in the book's order but not grouped. The sentence above each quote is our reading of the claim, not their wording. Each quote was checked against a stored copy of the page at build time; where the two differ, the quote is the fact.

Our reading
Because women do not hold property on equal terms with men, their cause may well be pleaded by a party like the anti-slavery one

Their wordsIt may well be an Anti-Slavery party that pleads for Woman, if we consider merely that she does not hold property on equal terms with men; so that, if a husband dies without making a will, the wife, instead of taking at once his place as head of the family, inherits only a part of his fortune, often brought him by herself, as if she were a child, or ward only, not an equal partner.
Our reading
What women need is not to act or rule as women, but to grow, discern and live freely and unimpeded

Their wordsWhat Woman needs is not as a woman to act or rule, but as a nature to grow, as an intellect to discern, as a soul to live freely and unimpeded, to unfold such powers as were given her when we left our common home.
Our reading
Men and women constantly pass into one another; no man is wholly masculine and no woman purely feminine

Their wordsMale and female represent the two sides of the great radical dualism. But, in fact, they are perpetually passing into one another. Fluid hardens to solid, solid rushes to fluid. There is no wholly masculine man, no purely feminine woman.
Our reading
At present, women are the best helpers of one another

Their wordsI believe that, at present, women are the best helpers of one another.
Our reading
Men should remove arbitrary barriers to women; women must show their own dignity to teach men how to help

Their wordsWe only ask of men to remove arbitrary barriers. Some would like to do more. But I believe it needs that Woman show herself in her native dignity, to teach them how to aid her; their minds are so encumbered by tradition.
Our reading
Women may fill any office, even that of sea captain

Their wordsBut if you ask me what offices they may fill, I reply—any. I do not care what case you put; let them be sea-captains, if you will.
Our reading
Women need, at this time, a much wider range of occupations to rouse their latent powers

Their wordsI think women need, especially at this juncture, a much greater range of occupation than they have, to rouse their latent powers.

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