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Mary Wollstonecraft born on April 27, 1759, is a well-known British writer. She is known as one of the earliest and most influential feminist thinkers and writers. Her ideas on women’s rights and education made her the foundational feminist personality advocating for rights. Her work Vindication of the Rights of Woman, put forward the idea of gender equality while challenging the societal norms of her time. She fought personal hardships and constraints, while also writing her thoughts out. She influenced many women through her bold, intellectual writings. In this blog, we will discuss Mary Wollstonecraft’s biography, life, and contributions. Read on to get more information.
| Biography of Mary Wollstonecraft | |
| Category | Details |
| Full Name | Mary Wollstonecraft |
| Birth Date | April 27, 1759 |
| Death Date | September 10, 1797 |
| Famous Works | Thoughts on the Education of Daughters (1787) A Vindication of the Rights of Men (1790) A Vindication of the Rights of Woman (1792) The Wrongs of Woman: Or, Maria (1798) Original Stories from Real Life (1788) |
| Influences | Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Margaret Fuller |
Early Life and Education of Mary Wollstonecraft
Born on 27th April 1759, in Spitalfields, Mary Wollstonecraft’s parents were Edward John Wollstonecraft and Elizabeth Dixon. She was born into a family with financial struggles because her father squandered their fortunes through poor financial decisions.
- Mary received her early education through self-study and got interested in classical literature and philosophy.
- She read authors like Shakespeare, and Milton and has read the Bible too.
- In 1778, she worked as a companion and governess to Mrs Dawson and further lived in Bath, she then moved to a different family in 1782 and stayed with her sister Eliza and her baby.
- However, Mary and Eliza were not happy in the house and left it soon.
- Mary, Eliza and her friend Fanny Blood together established a school in Newington Green in 1784, which failed later. During this venture, she met intellectual people around her.
- She also travelled extensively and met people like Reverend Richard Price and Joseph Johnson, who later became her publisher.
- Mary also travelled to Lisbon to visit Fanny but faced further personal losses there.
- Despite these challenges, an advance from her publisher for her first book helped ease her financial difficulties.
Personal Life
Mary’s personal life also saw many upheavals. She met Gilbert Imlay, an American merchant, during a voyage to France in 1792.
- Their relationship, though passionate, ended in disappointment and depression for Mary, leading to attempted suicide. Mary had a daughter with Imlay, named Fanny.
- Her subsequent relationship with philosopher William Godwin led to their marriage in 1797, and they had a daughter, Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin, later known as Mary Shelley.
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Mary Wollstonecraft’s Famous Work
Mary’s writing style challenged the already existing social norms and wrote about how women should be equal in both education and professional careers. Wollstonecraft’s most influential works like A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, where she argued for gender equality, and The Wrongs of Woman: Or, Maria, which addressed the systemic injustices faced by women. Her famous works were –
| Title | Year | Details |
| Thoughts on the Education of Daughters | 1787 | Advocated for improved educational opportunities for girls |
| A Vindication of the Rights of Men | 1790 | Criticized Edmund Burke’s defence of traditional institutions |
| A Vindication of the Rights of Woman | 1792 | Championed equality in education and rights for women. |
| Original Stories from Real Life | 1788 | A collection aimed at moral education for young women |
| The Wrongs of Woman: Or, Maria | 1798 | Explored the injustices faced by women, published posthumously. |
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Death and Legacy of Mary Wollstonecraft
Mary Wollstonecraft died on September 10, 1797, just eleven days after giving birth to her daughter.
- She was buried in the OLD Saint Pancras Chruch cemetery in London.
- In 2006, Melvyn Bragg included A Vindication of the Rights of Woman in his list of 12 books that changed the world and highlighted her impact on gender equality.
- In 2009, Wollstonecraft was also selected by the Royal Mail for their “Eminent Britons” commemorative postage stamp issue.
FAQs
Mary Wollstonecraft was an English writer who strongly supported women’s education and social rights. She believed that improving women’s roles could be achieved through major changes in education and society.
Mary Wollstonecraft is called the mother of the first wave of feminism.
Mary Wollstonecraft is famous because she advocated for women’s rights. She wrote the book, A Vindication of the Rights of Woman in 1792, an important work in rationalist feminism, which is seen as the first and most significant book promoting women’s equality.
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