I find it helpful, when thinking of the battles waged by Lucretia Mott, to recall the tight restrictions placed on women in the 19^th century. At that time:

-upon marriage all property owned by a woman went to her husband

-all wages she earned went to her husband

-men had full power to punish their wives

-no matter what the state of the husband (he could even be in a constant state of inebriation), any children born of a marriage “belonged to him”

-few occupations were open to women

-very, very few opportunities existed for advanced education

-women had no voting rights to change the very laws that held all of the above in place.