Another article found in the Women’s Exponent (1878), gives us an idea of the times our sisters were living in.  Mormon women wanted the right to vote all for the purpose of keeping their freedom to live in polygamy.  They felt this lifestyle, not only came from God, but allowed them freedom to become their best selves.  By banding together, they could give voice to their wishes, elect women to run for office, and carry out law in their favor.  Articles were written by various women (this one written by an unknown using initials L. M. H.) arguing and defending their demands.

I have looked up some of these historical figures on the Internet and I had to hold myself back from getting carried away at the history; it was all pretty interesting.  All of these women were the most beautiful, the most genius, the most generous, the most noble, and in powerful positions.  An article like this would have validated the station of a mere woman.

“The question has been asked, “Was there ever a time when there were no learned women?”  To this query we reply, No! Never since the creation of Eve, our first mother, down to the present, when the cause of women’s social and political rights has become a distinct national question; we admit there has been an unusual intellectual activity for the last twenty years, both in Europe and America, and that there has been advancement and progress in this respect within the last decade.

There never was a time when there was not highly educated women, according to the standard of their age. Isis and Minerva show the value set upon feminine intellect by the ancients.  Recall the noble tribute of Pluto to the genius of women in his Banquet; also the long line of learned and accomplished English women, from Lady Jane Grey to Elizabeth Barrett.  Among that wonderful people, the Spanish Arabs, there were women who were public lecturers, secretaries of kings.  While Christian Europe was sunk in darkness, Ayesha, daughter of Ahmed ben Mohammed ben Kadin of Cordova, was considered the most learned woman of her age (the Tenth century); she excelled in mathematics, medicine, poetry, and other sciences.  There were female professors of the classics, and of rhetoric at Salamanca under Ferdinand and Isabella.  The intellectual influence of Lucrezia Borgia.  Vittoria Colonna and Veronica Gambara ranked as the equals and friends of Bembo and Michael Angelo.  Benedict XIV bestowed our Maria Agnesi, a celebrated mathematician, the place of Apostolic professor in the University of Bologna in 1758.  Pope Clement XIV wrote, in 1763, to a lady who had sent him her translation of Locke, expressing his satisfaction that the succession of learned women was still maintained in Italy.  There is a work of Paul de Ribera entitled “The Immortal Triumphs and Heroic Enterprises of 1845 Women.”  There were sold at Padua in 1847, from the library of Count Leopold Terri, 30,000 volumes solely the works of female authors.  Madame Roland was acknowledged a far better Statesman than her husband.  One of the most important treaties of modern Europe, the peace of Cambray in 1529, was negotiated by two women, Marguerite, the aunt of Charles V, and Louisa, the mother of Francis.

These are merely a few specimens given out of thousands.  There always have been strong-minded, energetic, brilliant women, but in order to succeed there must be an incentive to action.

What is it that so often causes failure on the part of girls, when it has been proven that at school the girls showed more aptitude, and averaged an equality of talent.  Let me give the answer as it has come up from thousands of female hearts:  “We have nothing to do.”  Boys go to college, study professions, learn trades, etc.  They have all before them, while most of the girls feel that they have nothing worthy to inspire them, and the failure arises from want of stimulus.  An immortal soul needs for its sustenance something more than visiting, novel reading, crocheting, making pretty little things to adorn person or parlor.  This is not sufficient—neither is that other incentive so often held forth to young women, viz., “To be the mother of some great man like a Washington or a Marshall.”

We still have a similar situation in our day, but the problem isn’t between man and woman as much as between career women, stay-at-home moms, and single mothers forced to work.  No one really seems to be happy with their station, and the unhappiness of it radiates amongst all our loved ones.