Summary
Woman in the Nineteenth Century is considered the first major feminist work published in the United States.
Written by transcendentalist intellectual Margaret Fuller, the book originated from an essay she published in The Dial (1843) titled “The Great Lawsuit: Man versus Men, Woman versus Women.”
In this expanded form, Fuller examines the role, rights, and potential of women in a society dominated by patriarchal values.
Drawing on philosophy, history, literature, and personal reflection, she makes an impassioned case for gender equality and the intellectual and spiritual emancipation of women.