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"To the Ladies" In 1688, the "Glorious Revolution" saw the rejection of monarchical patriarchy with the overthrow of James II, initiating a fierce wave of publications by literary women such as Aphra Behn (1640-89) and Lady Chudleigh (1656-1710), whose 1703 poem "To the Ladies" expresses the feelings of the era: To the Ladies Wife and servant are the same, But only differ in the name. When the word "obey" has said, And man by law supreme has made, Fierce as an Eastern Prince he grows And all his innate rigor shows. Then shun, oh shun that wretched state And all the fawning flatterers hate. Value yourselves and men despise: You must be proud if you'll be wise.
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Early Perspectives The Society of Friends In 1652, the Society of Friends was founded in England by Quakers. Quakers do not accept any form of hierarchy between people. They do not take their hat off to anyone, as was demonstrated in the meeting of the prominent Quaker William Penn and the French King Charles II. THEMSELVES ONLY TO THE LORD. This belief in social equality was unique for its time, and was translated into a series of original attitudes towards race and gender. Between 1755 and 1776, Quakers became active in fighting the institution of slavery by creating abolition societies to promote emancipation. Within the family, Quakers did not differentiate between the social roles of men and women. As a result, many female Friends were highly educated and played prominent roles in politics and education. Quaker women would travel unaccompanied, contribute to Church administration and preach to mixed audiences. Consequently it is believed that in the 19th century "Quaker women comprised 40 per cent of female abolitionists, 19 per cent of feminists born before 1830, and 15 per cent of suffragists born before 1830". (Mary Maples) FOR MANY YEARS, WOMEN '.5 STRUGGLE FOR EQUAL RIGHTS AND FOR FAIR REPRESENTAnON IN SOCIETY WAS EQUATED WITH THE ABOLITIONIST CAUSE.

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"To the Ladies" In 1688, the "Glorious Revolution" saw the rejection of monarchical patriarchy with the overthrow of James II, initiating a fierce wave of publications by literary women such as Aphra Behn (1640-89) and Lady Chudleigh (1656-1710), whose 1703 poem "To the Ladies" expresses the feelings of the era:

To the Ladies Wife and servant are the same, But only differ in the name.

When the word "obey" has said, And man by law supreme has made,

Fierce as an Eastern Prince he grows And all his innate rigor shows.

Then shun, oh shun that wretched state And all the fawning flatterers hate. Value yourselves and men despise: You must be proud if you'll be wise.

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