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USA

Were the Founding Fathers Were Sexists and Misogynists? Essay

April 27, 2021 by Essay Writer

Introduction

The founding fathers were sexists and misogynists in the period when the republic was founded. There was no democracy that prevailed regarding gender equality and did not want women to lead. It is clear that they favored men so much and left the ladies in the dark. While drafting the constitution, many rights of women were ignored. Women were regarded as properties of their husbands and fathers. This shows the fact that the founding fathers were sexists and misogynists.

Analysis

The founding fathers were inherently sexists because they did not consider women in any of their power dealings. Women were put on the periphery and did not occupy any seat or have any prominent role in the founding government. And the thing was absolutely not in the fact that there were no women who could have occupied that position. There were women who were influential and prominent during the era. Such women included Dolley Madison and Mercy Otis Warren.

These women played a pivotal role in the attainment of independence of America, but their contributions were not recognized nor merited. The Founding Fathers label did not recognize the contributions that these women brought. The label of Founding Fathers has become more of a reverential role than it is today. Women were not recognized by the founding fathers. Most contributions that were made by women were not merited and did not receive any recognition. One thing that is clear and evident in these facts is that America was not founded on a ground that was common for gender or religion.

This could have been regarded as a source of national identity and unity. The founding fathers believed that America was founded on beliefs and convictions and that these convictions were integrated into the Bill of Rights, in the American Constitution. Becoming a citizen of America did not come only from bloodiness and genealogy but rather came from values that were built on the foundation. These values gave men significant roles. It is also worth noting that the system of jurisprudence came up with links to all pertinent issues regarding decision making. In this respect, the language that was used and which was common in the constitution was frequently associated with the original framers.

Democracy in the constitution of America was drafted by men. In this process, women were left on the periphery. In the constitution, the term ‘men’ has been used extensively. The constitution mentioned that men had some rights which were endowed by the creator.

The founding fathers did not put policies that would enable women to grow and have a better representation in the government. This is the reason why women had minimal representation in parliament. Men dominated, and there were no steps taken to ensure any stipulations that could help women get better representation. They were not recognized, and they had little contribution to make in the government of the day.

The organizations that were there did not have fair employment policies. Unlike today where employment has been made to suit all genders, men had bigger chances and were favored because of their masculine features. Many changes have taken place and now women are able to take place of their colleagues. These changes see women doing tasks that have been preserved by men.

Conclusion

In summary, it is fair to conclude that the founding fathers of America were sexists who did not consider women in their constitution. However, with the lapse of time, humanity managed to conquer such unfair treatment, and later on women received much bigger opportunities for personal development.

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