Symbols, Leaders, Practicioners: The First Women Professionals

Abstract

America’s first female lawyers were part of a larger phenomenon that occurred in the 19th Century – the emergence of the first women professionals in the United States. These women participated in the larger social movement for “female emancipation” that is closely associated with the Civil War and that ultimately yielded women’s right to vote. Women attorneys had a unique role in these events, because their work involved a profession that was distinctly male-gendered. The purpose of this Article is to explain why female professionals came upon the scene in this era and to relate their presence to women’s broader claims to freedom and equality that began more than 150 years ago and are still ongoing.

Keywords: Feminism, Woman Suffrage, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Vote, Voting Rights, Emancipation, Women Professionals, Civil War, Nineteenth Amendment

JEL Classification: J44, K00, J71,B30, B31, I21, J18, J100