Shaping of America 1783-1815 Primary Sources | Gender and Race

In the United States between 1783 and 1815, only white adult males enjoyed the full range of privileges of citizenship that almost all U.S. citizens take for granted in the twenty-first century. Neither African Americans nor women had the right to vote. Women were legally subordinate (lesser or inferior) to their husbands. African American slaves essentially had no rights or privileges. They were considered property, not human beings.

Slaves made up a large percentage of...