The 'Great Doctrine of Human Rights': articulation and authentication in the nineteenth-century U.S. antislavery and women’s rights movements

Article


Stevenson, Ana. 2017. "The 'Great Doctrine of Human Rights': articulation and authentication in the nineteenth-century U.S. antislavery and women’s rights movements." Humanity: An International Journal of Human Rights, Humanitarianism, and Development. 8 (3), pp. 413-439. https://doi.org/10.1353/hum.2017.0026
Article Title

The 'Great Doctrine of Human Rights': articulation and authentication in the nineteenth-century U.S. antislavery and women’s rights movements

ERA Journal ID123725
Article CategoryArticle
Authors
AuthorStevenson, Ana
Journal TitleHumanity: An International Journal of Human Rights, Humanitarianism, and Development
Journal Citation8 (3), pp. 413-439
Number of Pages27
Year2017
Place of PublicationUnited States
ISSN2151-4364
2151-4372
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1353/hum.2017.0026
Web Address (URL)https://muse.jhu.edu/article/684768
Abstract

Human rights are often considered a twentieth-century phenomenon, yet the concept has its ideological foundations in earlier social movements. During the nineteenth century, human rights periodically emerged as a contested concept, their meaning in constant flux. When the rhetoric of human rights did appear, it was at important junctures between the antislavery and women’s rights movements. Early allusions were shaped by a tradition of humanitarianism and paternalism, relying on intertextual references and authenticating documents to validate this fledgling idea. By the end of the nineteenth century, however, women’s suffragists attributed a far more recognizable, universalistic meaning to the concept of human rights.

KeywordsUnited States, antislavery, women’s rights, suffrage, humanitarian, humanity, human rights, nineteenth century
ANZSRC Field of Research 2020430321. North American history
430312. Histories of race
430309. Gender history
Byline AffiliationsUniversity of the Free State, South Africa
Institution of OriginUniversity of Southern Queensland
Permalink -

https://research.usq.edu.au/item/q71x3/the-great-doctrine-of-human-rights-articulation-and-authentication-in-the-nineteenth-century-u-s-antislavery-and-women-s-rights-movements

  • 39
    total views
  • 6
    total downloads
  • 0
    views this month
  • 0
    downloads this month

Export as

Related outputs

Women in the Ivory Tower: Historical Memory of the Heroic Educator in Mona Lisa Smile (2003)
Stevenson, A.. 2023. "Women in the Ivory Tower: Historical Memory of the Heroic Educator in Mona Lisa Smile (2003)." Harmes, M. and Scully, R. (ed.) Unseen Universities: Academia and Higher Learning in Popular Culture. Cham. Palgrave Macmillan.
‘Tearing Off the Bonds’: Suffrage Visual Culture in Australia, New Zealand and the USA, 1890–1920
Stevenson, Ana. 2023. "‘Tearing Off the Bonds’: Suffrage Visual Culture in Australia, New Zealand and the USA, 1890–1920." Gender and History. https://doi.org/10.1111/1468-0424.12694
Feminism and the Making of a Child Rights Revolution: 1969–1979
Stevenson, Ana. 2023. "Feminism and the Making of a Child Rights Revolution: 1969–1979 ." Journal of Australian Studies. https://doi.org/10.1080/14443058.2023.2194567
Women, protest, and the colour black: South Africa and Israel/Palestine
Swartz, Rebecca, Stevenson, Ana and Walton, Sarah-Jane. 2023. "Women, protest, and the colour black: South Africa and Israel/Palestine." VIDA: Blog of the Australian Women's History Network.
Screening women’s history in the film Suffragette (2015): between intersectional feminist activism and historical memory
Stevenson, Ana. 2022. "Screening women’s history in the film Suffragette (2015): between intersectional feminist activism and historical memory." Women's History Review. 31 (6), pp. 1002-1027. https://doi.org/10.1080/09612025.2022.2090712
Review: American Historical Association Annual Meeting
Stevenson, Ana. 2016. "Review: American Historical Association Annual Meeting." U.S. Studies Online.
Review: ANZASA Conference [Part Two]
Stevenson, Ana. 2015. "Review: ANZASA Conference [Part Two]." U.S. Studies Online.
‘You’re a Real Man After All’: Fashioning the Male Physique in Twentieth-Century Boxing and Wrestling Magazines
Stevenson, Ana and Patrick, David. 2022. "‘You’re a Real Man After All’: Fashioning the Male Physique in Twentieth-Century Boxing and Wrestling Magazines." Dexl, Carmen and Gerlsbeck, Silvia (ed.) The Male Body in Representation: Returning to Matter. Cham, Switzerland. Palgrave Macmillan. pp. 53-74
From Suffragist to Congresswoman: Celebrating Political Action, Women’s History, and Feminist Intellectuals in Ms. Magazine, 1972–1984
Stevenson, Ana. 2020. "From Suffragist to Congresswoman: Celebrating Political Action, Women’s History, and Feminist Intellectuals in Ms. Magazine, 1972–1984." Taranto, Stacie and Zarnow, Leandra (ed.) Suffrage at 100: Women in American Politics Since 1920. Baltimore, United States. The Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. 201-218
Gillard of Thrones: Using Popular Culture to Resist Misogyny
Stevenson, Ana. 2020. "Gillard of Thrones: Using Popular Culture to Resist Misogyny." Firestone, Amanda and Clarke, Leisa A. (ed.) Resist and Persist: Essays on Social Revolution in 21st Century Narratives. Jefferson, United States. McFarland & Company, Inc.. pp. 162-174
People’s Republic of Woodford
Stevenson, Ana. 2010. "People’s Republic of Woodford." Queensland Historical Atlas. 7 October 2010.
Walter Reid Cultural Centre, Rockhampton: back again
Stevenson, Ana. 2010. "Walter Reid Cultural Centre, Rockhampton: back again." Queensland Historical Atlas.
Schoolies week: a festival of misrule
Stevenson, Ana. 2010. "Schoolies week: a festival of misrule." Queensland Historical Atlas.
Deconstructing 'Uncle Tom' Abroad: The Case of an American President
Stevenson, Ana. 2015. "Deconstructing 'Uncle Tom' Abroad: The Case of an American President." U.S. Studies Online.
Belle, Books, and Ballot: The Life and Writing of Nineteenth-Century Reformer Lillie Devereux Blake (1833-1913)
Stevenson, Ana. 2015. "Belle, Books, and Ballot: The Life and Writing of Nineteenth-Century Reformer Lillie Devereux Blake (1833-1913)." U.S. Studies Online.
The 1619 Project, New York Times Magazine
Stevenson, Ana. 2020. "The 1619 Project, New York Times Magazine." History Australia. 17 (4), pp. 759-760. https://doi.org/10.1080/14490854.2020.1840305
Reading and Contesting Germaine Greer and Dennis Altman: The 1970s and Beyond
Piccini, Jon and Stevenson, Ana. 2019. "Reading and Contesting Germaine Greer and Dennis Altman: The 1970s and Beyond." Piccini, Jon, Smith, Evan and Worley, Matthew (ed.) The Far Left in Australia since 1945. London. Routledge. pp. 249-266
Business as Usual: Feminist History in a Post-Truth World
Piper, Alana and Stevenson, Ana. 2020. "Business as Usual: Feminist History in a Post-Truth World." Gudonis, Marius and Jones, Benjamin T. (ed.) History in a Post-Truth World: Theory and Praxis. New York. Routledge. pp. 183-198
'Sitting in Cages': Imagining Victorian Women in Neo-Victorian Film Musicals
Stevenson, Ana. 2015. "'Sitting in Cages': Imagining Victorian Women in Neo-Victorian Film Musicals." Falchi, Simonetta, Perletti, Greta and Ruiz, Maria Isabel Romero (ed.) Victorianomania: Reimagining, Refashioning, and Rewriting Victorian Literature and Culture. Milan, Italy. Franco Angeli. pp. 73-86
Hillary Clinton and Julia Gillard: how the media shape our view of leaders as ‘women’
Stevenson, Ana. 2016. "Hillary Clinton and Julia Gillard: how the media shape our view of leaders as ‘women’." The Conversation. 22 August 2016, pp. 1-5.
The Woman as Slave in Nineteenth-Century American Social Movements
Stevenson, Ana. 2019. The Woman as Slave in Nineteenth-Century American Social Movements. Cham, Switzerland. Palgrave Macmillan.
'The abolitionists of slavery among women': transatlantic foundations of the woman-slave analogy
Stevenson, Ana. 2012. "'The abolitionists of slavery among women': transatlantic foundations of the woman-slave analogy." Harmes, Marcus K., Henderson, Lindsay, Harmes, Barbara and Antonio, Amy (ed.) The British World: Religion, Memory, Society, Culture (2012). Toowoomba, Australia 02 - 05 Jul 2012 Toowoomba, Australia.
Making Gender Divisive: ‘Post-Feminism’, Sexism and Media Representations of Julia Gillard
Stevenson, Ana. 2013. "Making Gender Divisive: ‘Post-Feminism’, Sexism and Media Representations of Julia Gillard." Burgmann Journal. 1 (2), pp. 53-63.
'Symbols of Our Slavery': Fashion and the Rhetoric of Dress Reform in Nineteenth-Century American Print Culture
Stevenson, Ana. 2014. "'Symbols of Our Slavery': Fashion and the Rhetoric of Dress Reform in Nineteenth-Century American Print Culture." Lilith: a feminist history journal. https://doi.org/10.3316/INFORMIT.569638380940298
Editorial: Intersections and Connections in Feminist History
Stevenson, Ana and Phillips-Peddlesden, Bethany. 2016. "Editorial: Intersections and Connections in Feminist History." Lilith: a feminist history journal. https://doi.org/10.3316/INFORMIT.193408685885713
Recovering the transnational life of Charlotte Maxeke: an interview with Zubeida Jaffer
Stevenson, Ana and Cooke, Claire. 2018. "Recovering the transnational life of Charlotte Maxeke: an interview with Zubeida Jaffer." Safundi. 19 (1), pp. 9-15. https://doi.org/10.1080/17533171.2018.1404742
The Novel of Purpose and the Power of the Page: Breaking the Chains that Bind in 'Fettered for Life'
Stevenson, Ana. 2013. "The Novel of Purpose and the Power of the Page: Breaking the Chains that Bind in 'Fettered for Life'." Crossroads: an interdisciplinary journal for the study of history, philosophy, religion and classics. 6 (2), pp. 104-114.
From the ‘Radical Women’s Press’ to the Digital Age: Subversive Networks of Feminism in the United States
Stevenson, Ana. 2020. "From the ‘Radical Women’s Press’ to the Digital Age: Subversive Networks of Feminism in the United States." Guntarik, Olivia and Grieve-Williams, Victoria (ed.) From Sit-Ins to #Revolutions: Media and the Changing Nature of Protests. New York. Bloomsbury Academic. pp. 51-64
From Page to Meme: The Print and Digital Revolutions against Gender Violence
Stevenson, Ana and Lewis, Brigitte. 2019. "From Page to Meme: The Print and Digital Revolutions against Gender Violence." Piper, Alana and Stevenson, Ana (ed.) Gender Violence in Australia: Historical Perspectives. Clayton, Australia. Monash University Publishing. pp. 177-191
A trove for historians of Africa: reflections from the International Studies Group and research associates
Bishi, George, Gwande, Victor, Manamere, Kundai, Money, Duncan, Stevenson, Ana, Swartz, Rebecca and Walton, Sarah-Jane. 2021. "A trove for historians of Africa: reflections from the International Studies Group and research associates." History Australia. 18 (4), pp. 858-863. https://doi.org/10.1080/14490854.2021.1993746
One Hundred Years of Campaign Imagery: From Woman Suffrage Postcards to Hillary Clinton Memes
Stevenson, Ana. 2018. "One Hundred Years of Campaign Imagery: From Woman Suffrage Postcards to Hillary Clinton Memes." Kray, Christine A., Carroll, Tamar W. and Mandel, Hinda (ed.) Nasty Women and Bad Hombres: Gender and Race in the 2016 US Presidential Election. United States. University of Rochester Press. pp. 152-169
In flag-rante: Julia Gillard and the infamous ‘flag scene’ in ABC’s At Home with Julia
Stevenson, Ana. 2018. "In flag-rante: Julia Gillard and the infamous ‘flag scene’ in ABC’s At Home with Julia." Journal of Popular Television. 6 (3), pp. 381-403. https://doi.org/10.1386/jptv.6.3.381_1
Harriet Clisby’s ‘Sketches of Australia’: travel writing and colonial refigurations in Boston’s Woman’s Journal
Stevenson, Ana. 2017. "Harriet Clisby’s ‘Sketches of Australia’: travel writing and colonial refigurations in Boston’s Woman’s Journal." Women's History Review. 27 (5), pp. 837-857. https://doi.org/10.1080/09612025.2017.1403094
The gender-apartheid analogy in the transnational feminist imaginary: Ms. Magazine and the Feminist Majority Foundation, 1972-2002
Stevenson, Ana. 2018. "The gender-apartheid analogy in the transnational feminist imaginary: Ms. Magazine and the Feminist Majority Foundation, 1972-2002." Safundi. 19 (1), pp. 93-116. https://doi.org/10.1080/17533171.2018.1404752
Breaking boundaries, defying borders: transnational networks of gender and race in South Africa and the United States
Cooke, Claire and Stevenson, Ana. 2018. "Breaking boundaries, defying borders: transnational networks of gender and race in South Africa and the United States." Safundi. 19 (1), pp. 1-8. https://doi.org/10.1080/17533171.2018.1404739
The Suffrage Postcard Project: Transatlantic Suffrage History and Feminist Digital Archiving
Stevenson, Ana and Allukian, Kristin. 2021. "The Suffrage Postcard Project: Transatlantic Suffrage History and Feminist Digital Archiving." Journal of Contemporary Archival Studies. 8, pp. 1-25.
‘Bloomers’ and the British world: dress reform in transatlantic and antipodean print culture, 1851–1950
Stevenson, Ana. 2017. "‘Bloomers’ and the British world: dress reform in transatlantic and antipodean print culture, 1851–1950." Cultural and Social History. 14 (5), pp. 621-646. https://doi.org/10.1080/14780038.2017.1375706
Imagining women's suffrage: frontier landscapes and the transnational print culture of Australia, New Zealand, and the United States
Stevenson, Ana. 2018. "Imagining women's suffrage: frontier landscapes and the transnational print culture of Australia, New Zealand, and the United States." Pacific Historical Review. 87 (4), pp. 638-666. https://doi.org/10.1525/phr.2018.87.4.638
'Cast off the shackles of yesterday': women's suffrage in Walt Disney's Mary Poppins
Stevenson, Ana. 2018. "'Cast off the shackles of yesterday': women's suffrage in Walt Disney's Mary Poppins." Camera Obscura: a journal of feminism and film theory. 33 (2 (98)), pp. 69-103. https://doi.org/10.1215/02705346-6923118
What can feminist history do in urgent times?
Stevenson, Ana and Piper, Alana. 2020. "What can feminist history do in urgent times?" VIDA: Blog of the Australian Women's History Network.
What women’s history month means to me
Stevenson, Ana. 2019. "What women’s history month means to me." VIDA: Blog of the Australian Women's History Network.
The ‘new female costume’: The dress reform controversy in colonial Australia
Stevenson, Ana. 2017. "The ‘new female costume’: The dress reform controversy in colonial Australia." VIDA: Blog of the Australian Women's History Network.
Maidens, mothers, matriarchs: The women of Game of Thrones
Stevenson, Ana. 2017. "Maidens, mothers, matriarchs: The women of Game of Thrones." VIDA: Blog of the Australian Women's History Network.
How can historians best use Twitter?
Stevenson, Ana. 2016. "How can historians best use Twitter?" VIDA: Blog of the Australian Women's History Network.
“Peace on earth good will to people”: Holiday reflections on Ms. Magazine
Stevenson, Ana. 2016. "“Peace on earth good will to people”: Holiday reflections on Ms. Magazine." VIDA: Blog of the Australian Women's History Network.
The suffragettes were rebels, certainly, but not slaves
Stevenson, Ana. 2015. "The suffragettes were rebels, certainly, but not slaves." The Conversation. 9 October 2015, pp. 1-6.