Margaret Fuller’s Role in the Women’s Suffrage Movement

After many years of oppression and abuse, the feminist movement provided women a space to fight for their natural-born rights and voice their concerns and opinions to the world. There are many forms of fighting against oppression, such as using propaganda, lectures, protests, literature, and much more. The 19th century was when the initiative of feminism became more evident, seeing numerous women fighting for what they deserve. Their primary goal was to strive for equal education, gain the right to vote, and achieve better access to jobs.

There were many notable people who took part in this movement, such as Margaret Fuller and Fanny Fern. Women had been defined under one term: emotional beings who are weak and depend on a man; but that is not true. We see Fuller and Fern go against this definition and many of the norms, showing that a woman can be as, or even more, powerful (physically and emotionally) than a man. They inspired the next generation to continue the fight for equality and obtain their natural-born rights.

Margaret Fuller was an American journalist, freethinker, Transcendentalist leader, editor, teacher, and women’s rights author whose opinions and writings had an influential impact on later women’s suffrage activists. Her father, Timothy Fuller, a U.S. Representative from Massachusetts, educated Fuller at home. He took an untraditional path to educate her, not teaching her the typical female instruction. Usually, girls were taught manners and cooking, but Fuller was taught languages, grammar, mathematics, and history. From a young age, Fuller was not like other girls; she desired more knowledge. This shaped her ideals and concerns, and she voiced her opinions openly, taking criticism and issues head-on. This was very unusual and often viewed as problematic to the common man. However, many prominent writers, such as Emerson and Edgar Allan Poe, supported Fuller.

Her essay, “The Great Lawsuit,” was published in 1843 in The Dial. It is an excellent example of feminist writing; it centers on ideas such as the equality of all people. Fuller argues that men and women should have the same set of rights, including the right to own property and vote. Fuller also wonders if humans will ever achieve an enlightened state that will bring them closer to the divine; “the highest ideal man can form of his own capabilities is that which he is destined to attain” (Fuller 727).

Fuller does not discredit past reformers; she acknowledges that women have been leaders in the past, such as women in the anti-slavery movement. She did not just fight for the equality of white women but for all women, including women of African descent. There were many times when Fuller had to defend not only herself but women in general. She emphasizes that opponents of equality often frame advocates of equality as people who want to destroy the nation and the ideology of a family unit. This is seen in the conversation with the slave trader:

“Have you asked her whether she was satisfied with these indulgences?”

“No, but I know she is… I will never consent to have our peace disturbed by any such discussions.”

‘Am I not the head of my house?’

‘You are not the head of your wife.’” (Fuller 731-732)

These rivals are men who insist that their wives are happy with their lives. These men also believed that a man is naturally the one in control, alluding to the idea that he should be able to know what is right for his wife. But, Fuller acknowledges that not all men think they should make choices for their partners. She notes that countless men consider “whether women are capable of being and having more than they are and have, and whether, if they are, it will be best to consent to improvement in their condition” (Fuller 732).

Fuller was ahead of her time, seeking a world where all are equal and live in harmony. She praised women of the past and urged the women of the future to not give up. Fuller worked to bring activists together despite different goals. She defended and fought for Native Americans, African Americans, women, and men. Fuller left an impact in our world and worked night and day to do so. She also inspired many later activists such as Susan B. Anthony. Her impact was great and offered a place for women to feel as if they have a voice.

Sara Willis Parton, Fanny Fern, was an American novelist, children’s writer, and newspaper columnist. It is said that she was the highest-paid columnist in the US (Moreland Lecture 2.3). Fern is known for her social criticisms and controversial pieces. She typically dealt with issues affecting women in 19th-century America. Her rhetoric was most effective in gaining her audience while rebelling against social norms in her writings, mixing satire with the sentimental themes. It is through her writings, taken from her newspaper columns, that readers can see parallels between Fern’s personal life and the topics she chose for her articles.

She discussed topics that concerned the daily life of women and their independence. Fern addresses women’s suffrage, the right to children in a divorce, disloyal husbands, and restrictions on women’s freedom throughout many of her pieces. Fern did have an audience from men; however, she received criticism from them for her offensiveness and indecency in her pieces. For instance, in 1858, Fern published the rebellious tale ‘A Law More Nice Than Just,’ where she puts on her husband’s pantsuit, undermining the gender norms. In it, she calls out readers who would feel shocked at this bizarre act. Fern’s audience mainly consisted of women, which included wives and mothers worried about their children, difficult husbands, indifferent relatives, and those who aspired to be writers.

She believed that women should be free to do what they want and create their own stories, saying: ‘Think of the married women who stay at home after their day’s toil is done, waiting wearily for their thoughtless, truant husbands, when they might be taking the much-needed independent walk in trousers, which custom forbids petticoats’ (Fern 901).

Fanny Fern’s writing related to Transcendentalism, but did not define her writing as such. Fern’s use of short, humorous pieces made her an enjoyable author. In Fresh Leaves, she demonstrates how she can outsmart her critics by pretending to be them. This is seen when she wrote, ‘We do not desire to see a woman wielding the scimitar blade of sarcasm… there are still women who are women, who know the place Heaven assigned them, and keep it — who do not waste floods of ink and paper, brow-beating men and stirring up silly women…’ (Fern 900).

Fern was not afraid to be controversial and to do radical things to get her point across. A prime example is at the height of her success when “in 1856, after having a prenuptial agreement drawn up, which gave Fern rights to her earnings before and after their marriage, she married James Parton” (Maine Women Writers Collection). This was not only important to her because of how she felt about her rights as a woman but also because she needed this protection in a male-dominated world.

Both Fuller and Fern had a significant influence on the world, enabling the next generation to build on their efforts, sparking a revolution, and altering how women are treated and perceived. Fuller worked in the moment, wanting to bring about change immediately. While this was commendable, and she was a significant figure in the first wave of the Feminist Movement, her writing did not have as large an impact as Fern’s. Fern’s text presents a more effective argument against oppressive gender norms and roles. Fern made the most significant difference in her time due to her columns and her lack of affiliation with Transcendentalism. Her work, published in newspapers, could reach every type of person, be they a transcendentalist, feminist, or the average individual. Fanny Fern’s use of wit and humor set her apart from the rest.

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