Solo Exit Assignment (10 points) - Write a 3-paragraph response which

addresses the following questions/prompts:

Compare your reform movement with one of the other reform movements
(from the list of 7).
How did your reform movement impact American society between 1820-
1840?
How is your reform movement still impacting American society today? (If
your reform movement is no longer relevant - i.e. temperance - then discuss
how it was significant at another point in American history)

In the debate of Womens Rights against the other reforms, our team needed to find a
diamond in the rough approach to the issue, because of the importance of all of the reforms in
competition. One of the largest of our opponents in the debate was the delegation from the issue
of scientific reform. When we were released into the unmoderated caucus, it became readily
apparent that all of the groups were readily impacted by each other. For examples, the prison
reform leading directly into the jurisdiction of mental illness, or the scientific reform travelling
into the issues of education or temperance in the workplace. However, one of the most directly
comparable issues to that of Womens rights came from that of the Abolitionism team. The nature
of these issues were extremely similar, however the abolition of slavery could have been too
radical for the time period in question. We could see that since the abolition of slavery came at a
later date, perhaps finding reforms for womens rights could be passed in conjunction with the
ideas of the other groups. Having the increase in power to women in a population would could
have changed the other issues in the room, changing the rights of female slave populations to the
women in science careers. It was perhaps one of the larger populations of the problems in the
country at the time, because of the demographic. Slavery and women made up some of the larger
groups affected, however the standpoint of the division in the North and South could have been
the limiting factor for the abolitionism, because the groups were aware of the history that would
come later, which had larger impacts on historys timeline in the United States.
As could be seen by the debate, womens rights still required, and continues to require
change throughout the world today. However, during the 1820s to the 1840s, we saw a shift from
the basis that women were expected to keep. In the period during and before the 1820s, it was
truly evident that women had a greater standard as to their ability and how they were treated and
viewed in the society. With the mindset that women expected to remain at home and care for the
home and the children began an idea in both genders that it was the place of a woman to remain.
Our reform movement that took hold largely after the revolution showed the shift in the status
and expectations of women. With the industrial revolution that took hold during the 1840s, into
the period of the 1850s, women became a larger force in the colonial world and society. With
wars, and widows becoming more frequent in the population, it was seen that women who were
given responsibility became successful. As more factories developed, the need for women to
enter the workforce continued, leaving more impactful change on the society, because women
were out of the home, where they had once been banished from the dangers of society.
Although the rights of women and their gender roles remained extremely limiting to women in
the time. True change to the rights of women improved gradually, but it was forced to wait until
much later in the span of history for women to become equal to men, or other individuals.
However, womens rights remains an impactful problem in todays world. Although
women hold the rights that are equal to a mans in many societies, they continue to lack the
fundamental human rights in many parts of the world, and even in the country of America, where
rights are preached as equal, inequalities can be seen. The reform movement remains strong in
its development, and still a force that is greatly needed in society. The empowerment of women
has increased largely in time, however many stigmas remain as to how women are viewed and
what their roles in society are. Many women face different treatment, beginning at a young age.
Individuals of the female gender continuously require the reform movement because modern day
oppressive problems continue to face women. Issues such as the wage gap, or male dominance
have continued in many parts of the world, and will not change unless further reform is made.
From a females perspective, women are said to be empowered and strong, however there
continues to be a difference in the lives of both genders, making it a continuously serious issue to
this day. However, it remains in the minds of progress and change that there would be solutions
to all of these issues on the horizon. With the future progressing, issues that faced Congress in
the past, will continue to face the government until the world changes to make a difference in
these problems. Whether it be temperance, or womens rights, or the importance of mental
health, the issues as discussed in the debate remain pressing issues that require our attention,
making this debate have a true perspective in the real world.