◦ Today, we’re diving into an

important topic—the role of
women during the Enlightenment
and how their status began to
change. You might think that
gender equality is something
we’ve always been working
towards, but back in the 18th
century, this idea was just starting
to get some traction. Let's break
down what life was like for women
before and during the
Enlightenment, and how some
brave thinkers—both women and
men—began to challenge the
status quo.

Pre-Enlightenm
ent Roles of
Women

◦Before the
Enlightenment, life for
women was pretty
tough. Women were
expected to stay in the
domestic sphere—this
means they were mainly
responsible for cooking,
cleaning, and raising
children. Their lives were
governed by the will of
men, which included
their fathers and later
their husbands.
Women’s lives were
largely confined to the
home, and they were
expected to be
submissive and
obedient.

Here’s what it looked like:

•Middle and upper-class women were
expected to focus on household
responsibilities.

•Lower-class women sometimes worked
outside the home, but this was out of
necessity, not choice.

•Sexuality was heavily controlled—a woman
who had relations before marriage could
be socially ruined.

The

Enlightenment:

A Time of
Change

◦ The Enlightenment was a time when

philosophers began using logic and reason to
challenge traditional ideas. This era saw the
rise of classical liberalism, a philosophy that
argued everyone has basic rights and
freedoms that shouldn’t be infringed upon.
While this was a great step forward, it wasn’t a
smooth road for women.

◦ Definition: Classical liberalism is like the OG

(original) idea that everyone should have basic
rights and freedoms that no one, not even the
government, should mess with. Think of it as
the foundation for the idea that everyone
deserves to be treated fairly and have the
freedom to do their thing without being
controlled.

Here’s the gist:

Classical liberalism started to introduce the idea that all individuals have
unchallengeable rights—regardless of class, race, or gender.

However, many Enlightenment thinkers still excluded women from these
rights. They argued that while men should enjoy freedoms, women should
stick to their traditional roles.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau was one of those who believed that women’s primary
roles were as wives and mothers. He famously said, “Always justify the
burdens you impose upon girls but impose them anyway.”

Women in the
Enlightenment:
Shifting Roles

◦ Despite the challenges, women

began to gain more access to new
ideas during the Enlightenment. One
of the ways they did this was by
participating in salons—intellectual
gatherings where ideas were
exchanged. These were often held in
people’s homes, which made them
accessible to women.

Key points:

• Salons became a place where women

could engage in intellectual discussions
and share their thoughts.

• Some Enlightenment thinkers, including

women, started to argue for greater
rights and educational opportunities for
women.

• Mary Wollstonecraft, an English writer,

was one of the most prominent voices.
She argued that women should be
educated so they could become better
intellectual companions to their
husbands and also fulfill their potential
as individuals.

Citation:
Artist: John Opie
Title: Mary Wollstonecraft
Date: 1797
Medium: Oil on Canvas
Location: National Portrait Gallery, London

Understanding Virtue in
Wollstonecraft’s Writings

What does "virtue" mean in the Enlightenment?

Virtue, in Mary Wollstonecraft’s time, didn’t just mean being good. It meant being educated and able to use reason to make smart, fair choices. She believed that both men and women needed the same education to truly develop virtue. If women were educated, they could become just as wise and virtuous as men.

Olympe de Gouges

◦ Olympe de Gouges was a pioneering feminist, humanist,

and abolitionist during the French Revolution. She
boldly challenged the exclusion of women from the
Revolution’s ideals with her "Declaration of the Rights of
Woman and the Female Citizen" (1791), advocating for
women’s political and social rights.

◦ Beyond women’s rights, de Gouges was a committed

abolitionist, calling for the end of slavery in her work
"Reflections on Black People" (Réflexions sur les
hommes nègres). She believed in universal human
rights, arguing that liberty and equality should apply to
all people, regardless of gender or race.

◦ Her outspoken views eventually led to her execution by

guillotine during the Reign of Terror, but her legacy as a
trailblazer for gender and racial equality continues to
inspire today.

Citation:
Artist: Alexander Kucharsky
Title: Portrait of Olympe de Gouges
Date: Circa 1790
Medium: Pastel on paper
Location: Musée Carnavalet, Paris

Understanding Nature in Enlightenment Thinking

What did "nature" mean during the Enlightenment?

During the Enlightenment, "nature" referred to how things worked in the natural world, including humans. Some thinkers believed that men and women, as part of nature, should work together equally. The idea was that, just as in the natural world (including animals, plants, and ecosystems), everything works together in harmony, men and women should also be seen as equals in society, cooperating and having equal roles.

The Long Road to Change

◦While these ideas were radical at the time,
it’s important to remember that they didn’t
immediately lead to widespread change.
Traditional gender roles remained
dominant throughout the Enlightenment
and well into the 19th century. But these
early voices laid the groundwork for future
movements.

Key Takeaways:

• Mary Wollstonecraft and Olympe de

Gouges were pioneers in the fight for
women’s rights during the
Enlightenment.

• Women’s participation in salons allowed

them to engage with new ideas and
start pushing against societal
boundaries.

• Although change was slow, the ideas of

these early feminists influenced the later
women’s rights movements in the 19th
century.

Learning Outcomes: By the end of this
lesson, you should be able to:

Describe

Describe the
predominant roles
of women before
the Enlightenment.

Explain

Explain how views
on women’s roles
started to shift
during the
Enlightenment,
despite resistance.

Summarize

Summarize the
core ideas of
classical liberalism
and how they
began to challenge
traditional gender
roles.

Identify

Identify the impact
that thinkers like
Mary
Wollstonecraft had
on gender roles
during the
Enlightenment.

Recall

Recall the
participation of
women in salons
and how this
contributed to the
spread of
Enlightenment
ideas.

Assignment: Analyzing Primary Source Documents: Women in the Enlightenment

1. ​Read the two primary source documents on women’s roles during the Enlightenment.

2. Answer the questions provided to analyze their ideas.
   Document 1: Mary Wollstonecraft, A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, 1792
   Document 2: Olympe de Gouges, The Declaration of the Rights of Woman, 1791