Don’t be surprised when I laugh in your face.

1792: A Vindication of the Rights of Women by Mary Wollstonecraft is published. “I do not wish [women] to have power over men; but over themselves.”

1848: The Seneca Falls convention. “I do not believe women are better than men. We have not wrecked railroads, nor corrupted legislature, nor done many unholy things that men have done; but then we must remember that we have not had the chance.” – Jane Addams

1850: The Female Medical College of Pennsylvania is established. The first women to graduate do so under police guard.

1855: Master’s right to rape slaves is confirmed in Missouri v. Celia.

1866: The 14th Amendment is passed. It grants all male citizens the right to vote.

1893: New Zealand becomes the first country in the world to grant voting rights to women.

1920: Women in America are granted the right to vote.

1929: Women in Canada become “persons” under the law.

1963: The Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan is published. “Man is not the enemy here, but the fellow victim.”

1986: 56% of US women consider themselves to be feminists according to Newsweek.

1991: The High Court of Australia holds that the principle that “a man cannot rape his wife” is NOT part of the common law of Australia. (Thanks to Jo)

2007: The Finally, A Feminism 101 Blog states that “Feminists hate misogyny, not men.“

These are the snapshots that go through my mind when people imply that feminism equals sexism against men. If anyone else has similar events and quotations they would like to add to this timeline, please notify me in comments.

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Sources:

A Vindication of the Rights of Women- Mary Wollstonecraft

http://www.ibiblio.org/prism/mar98/path.html

http://womenshistory.about.com/od/suffrage/a/intl_timeline.htm

http://www.cwluherstory.com/CWLUAbout/timeline.html

http://www.infoplease.com/spot/womenstimeline1.html