Document: "Keep Within Compass," illustration published between 1785 and 1805
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"Keep Within Compass," illustration published between 1785 and 1805
Available online at the "Liberty Rhetoric and Nineteenth Century Women" (Prof. Catherine Lavender, College of Staten Island, CUNY)
Comments:
Most men at this time viewed the extension of political rights to women as a dangerous challenge to social order (some women were likewise hostile or indifferent to the expansion of suffrage). This last document in this group, “Keep within Compass,” is an illustration published sometime between 1795-1805, showing an ideal woman surrounded by her “fallen” sisters. It promises peace and plenty to women who stay “within compass,” while pointing to what happens to those who do not.
Questions for students about this document