Mary Wollstonecraft (1759-1797) was one of the earliest and most influential figures in the modern fight for women’s rights. Her writings became the groundwork for many feminists in the Western world for centuries after her death.
Mary Wollstonecraft (1759-1797) was one of the earliest and most influential figures in the modern fight for women’s rights. Her writings became the groundwork for many feminists in the Western world for centuries after her death.
This month, we’re highlighting Women of Resistance. Whether fighting tyranny, oppression, sexism, racism, reproductive control, or any number of other ills, these women created paths for change.
History classes can get a bad rap, and sometimes for good reason. When we were students, we couldn’t help wondering... where were all the ladies at? Why were so many incredible stories missing from the typical curriculum? Enter, Womanica. On this Wonder Media Network podcast we explore the lives of inspiring women in history you may not know about, but definitely should.
Every weekday, listeners explore the trials, tragedies, and triumphs of groundbreaking women throughout history who have dramatically shaped the world around us. In each 5 minute episode, we’ll dive into the story behind one woman listeners may or may not know–but definitely should. These diverse women from across space and time are grouped into easily accessible and engaging monthly themes like Educators, Villains, Indigenous Storytellers, Activists, and many more. Womanica is hosted by WMN co-founder and award-winning journalist Jenny Kaplan. The bite-sized episodes pack painstakingly researched content into fun, entertaining, and addictive daily adventures.
Womanica was created by Liz Kaplan and Jenny Kaplan, executive produced by Jenny Kaplan, and produced by Liz Smith, Grace Lynch, Maddy Foley, Brittany Martinez, Edie Allard, Lindsey Kratochwill, Adesuwa Agbonile, Carmen Borca-Carrillo, Taylor Williamson, Ale Tejeda, Sara Schleede, and Alex Jhamb Burns. Special thanks to Shira Atkins.
Original theme music composed by Miles Moran.
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Hello! From Wonder Media Network, I’m Jenny Kaplan and this is Womanica.
This month on Womanica, we’re highlighting women who led extraordinary lives of resistance. Whether fighting tyranny, oppression, sexism, racism, or reproductive control, these women created paths for change.
Today, we’re talking about one of the earliest and most influential figures in the modern fight for women’s rights. Her writings became the groundwork for many feminists in the Western world for centuries after her death.
Please meet Mary Wollstonecraft.
Mary Wollstonecraft was born on April 27, 1759 in London. Her family was well-off, but her father badly mismanaged their wealth. Mary’s childhood was marked by the steady financial and social decline of her family, as well as repeated abuse by her father.
At the time, it was common for girls to receive very little formal education, and Mary only went to school for a few years. Instead, she found ways to study on her own. Thanks to neighbors’ libraries, she read influential writers like Plato, Milton and Shakespeare.
Mary always yearned for independence. But, her family’s financial insecurity made that difficult. As a young woman, Mary spent a short period working as a lady’s companion. That didn’t last long. Around 1780, she had to return home for several months to nurse her dying mother. . A few years after that, she moved in with her younger sister Eliza to help her care for her newborn baby.
During this period, Mary persuaded Eliza to leave her husband and infant. Historians aren’t sure exactly why Mary thought Eliza needed to leave, but it’s possible Eliza had postpartum depression. Eliza’s daughter died a year later.
Mary brought Eliza to live with her closest friend Fanny Blood. The three women devised a plan to open a school for girls in the progressive Newington Green community in North London. They first welcomed students in 1784, and their school quickly earned a good reputation.
Their success was short-lived. In 1785, Fanny got married, got pregnant, and moved to Portugal. She was also getting weaker and weaker, due to tuberculosis. Mary rushed overseas to visit her , and stayed with Fanny in her final days. Without Fanny and Mary around, though, their school in London collapsed.
After Fanny’s death, Mary had to find work. She took a job as a governess with the daughters of Lord and Lady Kingsborough in Ireland in 1786. She hated the work and her mistress, and again, the gig didn’t last long.
In the meantime, Mary continued to study and write. She published her first book, “Thoughts on the Education of Daughters” in 1787, with the help of radical publisher Joseph Johnson. She wrote passionately about the need for girls to be formally educated like boys.
After the release of her book, Mary began writing for Joseph’s literary magazine “The Analytical Review.” Through her writing, she became familiar with the influential literature of her time and reviewed everything from poetry to sermons to travel accounts.
In 1790, the conservative philosopher Edmund Burke sparked controversy after publishing a political pamphlet in support of the constitutional monarchy and the aristocracy. In response, Mary published “A Vindication of the Rights of Men.” It was a fierce defense of egalitarian ideals. Initially, the work was published anonymously. Mary added her name in the second edition, which led some reviewers to take her arguments less seriously because she was a woman. Still, the pamphlet was widely read and popular. She had made a name for herself as a political writer.
Two years later, Mary published her most enduring work: “A Vindication of the Rights of Woman.” She argued that women were just as capable of reason as men. Women were just denied the same educational opportunities. She wrote, “Let woman share the rights, and she will emulate the virtues of man.” Her book would later be known as one of the earliest works in feminist philosphy.
In the early 1790s, Mary also traveled to Paris. There, she met an American businessman, Gilbert Imlay. They had an affair and she posed as his wife in public. In 1794, she gave birth to their daughter Fanny, named for her dear friend.
Mary and Gilbert’s relationship was tumultuous. She attempted suicide, and the affair ended shortly after that in 1796.
Later that year, she found new love with William Godwin, a radical philosopher. They had met at “The Analytical Review.” Mary became pregnant again, and they were married in 1797. On August 30 of that year, Mary went into labor. After 18 hours, her second daughter was born. Mary named her Mary, too. Baby Mary would eventually become Mary Shelley, writer of one of the first-ever science fiction stories: Frankenstein.
The long and difficult birth took its toll on Mary Wollstonecraft. In the days after, she suffered from acute hemorrhaging and infection. Mary died on September 10, 1797, just eleven days after her daughter was born. She was 38 years old.
The next year, Mary’s husband William published an account of her life. He wanted to preserve her legacy. But conservative critics gleefully smeared her reputation when they learned of her sexual history — having a child out of wedlock was a major scandal at the time. For more than a century, Mary’s memory was tarnished.
As the feminist movement grew stronger, so did calls to reconsider Mary’s legacy as a foundational figure in the fight for women’s rights. Her writings became hugely influential with later feminists, including Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Margaret Fuller and Virginia Woolf. Today, she is widely regarded as an early feminist icon.
All month we’re highlighting women who led lives of resistance. For more information, find us on Facebook and Instagram @womanicapodcast.
Special thanks to Liz Kaplan, my favorite sister and co-creator.
Talk to you tomorrow!