The Declaration of Independence and the American Revolution represented a historical turning point for women.
Unlike previous revolutions, the American Revolution epitomized a revolution in the general principles of governance. It was a manifesto which set forth a universal standard of justice, that could be employed to evaluate any government.
The standard of justice set forth in the Declaration of Independence and other Founding documents, was rooted in the notion of a “transcendent law of nature” which represents a common sense view of nature. That is, that through observation of human behaviour we are able to tell that there is no inequality between men that can declare that one of them is a natural ruler over another. The Declaration of Independence first and foremost resolves that all human beings are equal in their freedom.
Early women’s rights advocates were able to contend that, because women are as equally human beings as men, there is a natural equality and liberty that women and men should both share, and women were being unjustly deprived of their rights and of the recognition of their right to own property that they deserved, they were also being stripped from their rights of participating in the political affairs of the nation and of receiving equal protection of the laws.
