The Battle for Equality While the 1960s experienced a huge cultural shift in acceptance, equality and the call to end domestic violence and sexual harassment, the Society's push to see women differently and for women to advocate for change did not begin or end with the 1960s. As early as 1848, with the “first meeting dedicated to women's rights” (US Government Printing Office, 2007) which ultimately led to the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment on August 26, 1920 which guaranteed women the right to vote; to the 1960s and the “second wave of fervent activism” that eventually led to “state and federal laws…prohibiting discrimination in employment and education” (Ruthsdotter, 1998), women fought for most basic rights associated with democracy. a long way "I am a slave, a favored slave at best, to share his splendor, and look very blissful! When most weary of these fleeting charms and of me, there yawns the sack - and yonder rolls the sea! What , am I then a toy for idiots to play, to be worn only until the gilding wears off (Coleridge, 2007) (Gordon AD, 1997) Women were expected to focus all their attention on home and family; they were expected to provide their husbands with children, an heir, and a comfortable home; for all intents and purposes women were expected to be subordinate to their husbands. If a woman had to work for pay, she had little to no control over the money she earned Rather, the laws governing women's rights provided for the husband's almost complete control over his wife and family. As women did not have the right to vote, sign contracts, buy or sell property, or even defend themselves in court , a woman had very little recourse if she found herself in an abusive situation... middle of paper... ..and equal rights. Retrieved from National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior: http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/travel/pwwmh/equal.htmRynder, C.B. (1999, April). Seneca Falls Convention. Retrieved from Historynet.com: http://www.historynet.com/seneca-falls-conventionU.S. Government press office. (2007). The women's rights movement, 1848-1920. Excerpted from History, Arts, and Archives, U.S. House of Representatives, Office of the Historian, Women in Congress, 1917-2006. Washington, DC: http://history.house.gov/Exhibitions-and-Publications/WIC/Historical-Essays/No-Lady/Womens- Rights/ushistory.org. (2014, April 6). Modern feminism. Retrieved from US History online textbook: http://www.ushistory.org/us/57a.aspWomen's International Center Staff. (1994). History of women in America. Retrieved from International Women's Center: http://www.wic.org/misc/history.htm