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Campaign to Raise the Legal Age of Consent, 1885-1914, Lesson Plan
Begin a deeper discussion of women's active involvement in the age-ofconsent
campaign by first reading Bessie V. Cushman, "Another Maiden
Tribute," February 1887; and Petition from the Woman's Christian Temperance
Union for the Protection of Women to Congress, May 1888. How did Cushman
hope to use "Another Maiden Tribute" to arouse public sentiment? What did she
propose as a solution to the vice camps? Why would public support be crucial
to her solution? Why might the petition be an effective weapon in the fight to
raise the age of consent? Why did women send it to Congress?
Investigate how reformers' approaches to the sexual victimization of wageearning
women changed over time by reading Louise De Koven Bowen, "Legal
Protection in Industry," 1914. What did this author suggest to prevent working
girls from engaging in illicit sexual relations? How were her suggestions in 1914
different from the solutions advocated by reformers 25 years earlier?
Short paper assignment:
Read "The National Colored Woman's Congress," January 1896;
and Frances E. Willard, "Social Purity Work for 1887," January
1887. In a 2-3 page paper, compare the resolutions of the National
Colored Woman's Congress to the social purity activities of the
WCTU. How were the activities of the two groups similar? How
were they different? What could account for these differences?
Long paper assignment:
Read "Seduction a Felony," September 1888; Helen Campbell,
"Poverty and Vice," May 1890; Elizabeth Cady Stanton, "Preface,"
to Pray You Sir, Whose Daughter? 1892; Helen Campbell, "Why
an Age of Consent?" April 1895; and Helen Hamilton Gardener, "A
Battle for Sound Morality," August 1895. In a 5-7 page paper,
compare and contrast the arguments various reformers used to
support the age-of-consent campaign. Questions you might want
to consider include: What do the authors view as the cause of
vice? What solutions do they propose? How do the authors feel
about the age-of-consent campaign? What do the authors view as
the differences and/or similarities between men and women? How
do the authors feel a higher age of consent will improve women's
lives?
For Further Exploration:
http://womhist.binghamton.edu/teacher/aoc.htm (2 of 3) [6/5/2005 8:52:28 PM]
To investigate earlier efforts to eradicate prostitution and predatory male sexual
behavior, see "What Was the Appeal of Moral Reform to Antebellum Northern
Women?" also on this website.