Equality or Inequality?
Historians are divided on the question of whether republican motherhood implied that women were on a path towards political equality at the founding of the United States, or whether it signified a new but subservient role for women in the new republic. The idea of a mother as a key force in the preservation and advancement of democracy can be seen as elevating women to status as politically vital citizens, but it can equally be seen as a reinforcement of traditional women's roles (merely focusing more on republican ideals in the education taking place in the home).
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Famous quotes containing the word equality:
“Trying to love your children equally is a losing battle. Your children’s scorecards will never match your own. No matter how meticulously you measure and mete out your love and attention, and material gifts, it will never feel truly equal to your children. . . . Your children will need different things at different times, and true equality won’t really serve their different needs very well, anyway.”
—Marianne E. Neifert (20th century)