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[[File:800px-Mary Wollstonecraft by John Opie (c. 1797).jpg|thumb|left|250px|Figure 1. Mary Wollstonecraft arguably was one of the first modern writers advocating for feminist causes.]]
While there is no clear consensus as to when 'first wave' feminism occurred, most accept that in the 19th century, as industrialization progressed, 1st Wave feminism emerged. The term itself was only coined in 1968 by Martha Lear, who also coined the term [[What was the Second Wave Feminist Movement?|Second Wave Feminism]]. There is also a [[What was the Third Wave Feminist Movement?|Third Wave Feminist Movement]] that began in 1990s. First Wave feminism focused on what we now consider basic issues of inequality in light of more recent developments.
====Origins of 1st Wave Feminism====
However, philosophers and writers often ignored women and Wollstonecraft was among the first to call for gender equality. She believed reason and education should be the foundation of social order that included equality for women. Her books (<i>[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/019955546X/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=019955546X&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=f7ede341ed268d1f21573c5f2e2ef23d A Vindication of the Rights of Women]</i>, published in 1792, and <i>Maria, or the Wrongs of Women</i>, published in 1798, were controversial in their day but also demonstrated her ideas. She saw the lack of focus in educating women as making them appear less informed as men in society. Although we see her views as largely expected and normal today, for over a century her writings and influence were minimized or even avoided by later feminists due to the morals of the day. She had at least two highly publicized affairs that produced at least one child out of wedlock and was explicit about her sexuality. The focus on her behavior, rather than ideas, unfortunately, diminished her influence in the early 19th century as feminists ideas increasingly emerged.<ref>For more on Wollstonecraft, see: Taylor, B. (2003). <i>Mary Wollstonecraft and the feminist imagination</i>. Cambridge, U.K. ; New York: Cambridge University Press.</ref>
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====The Birth of the Social Reform Movement====
[[File:Suffragettes-1921.jpg|thumb|left|300px|Figure 2. The suffrage movement and suffragettes helped create momentum for the right to vote for women.]]