Topic > Political, social and political causes of the American…

Reform of girls' education has also started to receive more and more support. Molly states in her valedictory address to the Young Ladies' Academy of Philadelphia in 1792 that: "With some, however, the question has been asked whether we should ever appear so publicly." [Document J] Molly is saying that some are starting to question whether or not it is appropriate for women to appear in public. At the end of her speech, Molly states, “And if you read, why not talk?” [Document J] Overall, are you saying that if men can have a voice, why can't women? Women like Molly Wallace began to speak out against gender restrictions at this time and this eventually led to the birth of the Women's Rights Movement. Another example of women's roles beginning to change was shown in a woodcut from Marblehead, Massachusetts in 1779. The woodcut depicts a female patriot wearing a tricorn hat, wielding a musket, and carrying gunpowder. [Document A] This shows that women's roles were expanding and society was moving forward. Slaves and indentured servants also began to see a change in their social position. In an ordinance for the government of the territory of the United States northwest of the Ohio River in 1787, Article 6, it is stated that: "There shall be neither slavery nor involuntary servitude in the said territory, except in the punishment of crimes whereof the party shall have been duly convicted. "[Document H] This excerpt essentially says that slavery and indentured servitude were prohibited in the territory northwest of the Ohio River. However, if the slaves were runaways, they would be legally returned to their owners. Both women and slaves saw drastic social change that spurred future movements such as the Abolitionist Movement and Women's Rights