Overview of the Movement

The term “first-wave feminism” refers to the feminist movement of the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century, specifically when the women’s suffrage movement took place in the US. During this time, women organized and advocated for social and constitutional equal rights to white men, including the right to vote, the right to education, the right to own property, and the right to be legally recognized as independent subjects from their husbands rather than their property. While the leaders of this movement were abolitionists, they were primarily concerned with the rights of white women.