AnOccasionalLetterOnTheFemaleSex

byThomasPaine
August,1775
OWoman!lovelyWoman!
Naturemadetheetotemperman,
WehadbeenBruteswithoutyou.
OTWAY.
IF we take a survey of ages and of countries, we shall find the women, almost-without exceptionat all times and in all places, adored and oppressed. Man, who has never neglected an
opportunity of exerting his power, in paying homage to their beauty, has always availed himself
of their weakness. He has been at once their tyrant and their slave.
Natureherself,informingbeingssosusceptibleandtender,appearstohavebeenmore
attentivetotheircharmsthantotheirhappiness.Continuallysurroundedwithgriefsand
fears,thewomenmorethanshareallourmiseries,andarebesidessubjectedtoills
whicharepeculiarlytheirown.Theycannotbethemeansoflifewithoutexposing
themselvestothelossofit;everyrevolutionwhichtheyundergo,alterstheirhealth,and
threatenstheirexistence.Crueldistempersattacktheirbeautyandthehourwhich
confirmstheirreleasefromthoseisperhapsthemostmelancholyoftheirlives.Itrobs
themofthemostessentialcharacteristicoftheirsex.Theycanthenonlyhopefor
protectionfromthehumiliatingclaimsofpity,orthefeeblevoiceofgratitude.Society,
insteadofalleviatingtheircondition,istothemthesourceofnewmiseries.Morethan
onehalfoftheglobeiscoveredwithsavages;andamongallthesepeoplewomenare
completelywretched.Man,inastateofbarbarity,equallycruelandindolent,activeby
necessity,butnaturallyinclinedtorepose,isacquaintedwithlittlemorethanthe
physicaleffectsoflove;and,havingnoneofthosemoralideaswhichonlycansoften
theempireofforce,heisledtoconsideritashissupremelaw,subjectingtohis
despotismthosewhomreasonhadmadehisequal,butwhoseimbecilitybetrayedthem
tohisstrength."Nothing"(saysProfessorMiller,speakingofthewomenofbarbarous
nations)"canexceedthedependenceandsubjectioninwhichtheyarekept,orthetoil
anddrudgerywhichtheyareobligedtoundergo.Thehusband,whenheisnotengaged
insomewarlikeexercise,indulgeshimselfinidleness,anddevolvesuponhiswifethe
wholeburdenofhisdomesticaffairs.Hedisdainstoassistherinanyofthoseservile
employments.Shesleepsinadifferentbed,andisseldompermittedtohaveany
conversationorcorrespondencewithhim."
The women among the Indians of America are what the Helots were among the Spartans, a
vanquished people, obliged to toil for their conquerors. Hence on the banks of the Oroonoko, we

have seen mothers slaying their daughters out of compassion, and smothering them in the hour of
their birth. They consider this barbarous pity as a virtue.
"Themen(saysCommodoreByron,inhisaccountoftheinhabitantsofSouthAmerica)
exerciseamostdespoticauthorityovertheirwives,whomtheyconsiderinthesame
viewtheydoanyotherpartoftheirproperty,anddisposeofthemaccordingly.Even
theircommontreatmentofthemiscruel;forthoughthetoilandhazardofprocuringfood
liesentirelyonthewomen,yettheyarenotsufferedtotouchanypartofittillthe
hubsandissatisfied;andthenheassignsthemtheirportion,whichisgenerallyvery
scanty,andsuchashehasnotastomachforhimself."
AmongthenationsoftheEastwefindanotherkindofdespotismanddominionprevail
theSeraglioandthedomesticservitudeofwoman,authorizedbythemannersand
establishedbythelaws.InTurkey,inPersia,inIndia,inJapan,andoverthevast
empireofChina,onehalfofthehumanspeciesisoppressedbytheother.
Theexcessofoppressioninthosecountriesspringsfromtheexcessoflove.
AllAsiaiscoveredwithprisoners,wherebeautyinbondageawaitsthecapricesofa
master.Themultitudeofwomenthereassembledhavenowill,noinclinationsbuthis.
Theirtriumphsareonlyforamoment;andtheirrivalry,theirhate,andtheiranimosities
continuetilldeath.Therethelovelysexareobligedtorepayeventheirservitudewith
themosttenderaffections;or,whatisstillmoremortifying,withthecounterfeitofan
affection,whichtheydonotfeel.Therethemostgloomytyrannyhassubjectedthemto
creatures,who,beingofneithersex,areadishonortoboth.There,inshort,their
educationtendsonlytodebasethem;theirvirtuesareforced;theirverypleasuresare
involuntaryandjoyless;andafteranexistenceofafewyearstillthebloomofyouthis
overtheirperiodofneglectcommences,whichislonganddreadful.Inthetemperate
latitudewheretheclimates,givinglessardortopassion,leavemoreconfidencein
virtue,thewomenhavenotbeendeprivedoftheirliberty,butaseverelegislationhas,at
alltimes,kepttheminastateofdependence.Onewhiletheywereconfinedtotheirown
apartments,anddebarredatoncefrombusinessandamusement;atothertimes,a
tediousguardianshipdefraudedtheirhearts,andinsultedtheirunderstandings.
Affrontedinonecountrybypolygamy,whichgivesthemtheirrivalsfortheirinseparable
companions;enslavedinanotherbyindissolubleties,whichoftenjointhegentletothe
rude,andsensibilitytobrutality.Evenincountrieswheretheymaybeesteemedmost
happy,constrainedintheirdesiresinthedisposaloftheirgoods,robbedoffreedomof
willbythelaws,theslavesofopinion,whichrulesthemwithabsolutesway,and
construestheslightestappearancesintoguilt;surroundedonallsidesbyjudges,who
areatoncetyrantsandtheirseducers,andwho,afterhavingpreparedtheirfaults,
punisheverylapsewithdishonornay,usurptherightofdegradingthemonsuspicion!
Whodoesnotfeelforthetendersex?Yetsuch,Iamsorrytosay,isthelotofwomen
overthewholeearth.Manwithregardtothem,inallclimates,andinallages,hasbeen
eitheraninsensiblehusbandoranoppressor;buttheyhavesometimesexperienced

thecoldanddeliberateoppressionofpride,andsometimestheviolentandterrible
tyrannyofjealousy.Whentheyarenotbelovedtheyarenothing;and,whentheyare,
theyaretormented.Theyhavealmostequalcausetobeafraidofindifferenceandof
love.Overthreequartersoftheglobenaturehasplacedthembetweencontemptand
misery.
"Themeltingdesires,orthefierypassions,"saysProfessorFerguson,"whichinone
climatetakeplacebetweenthesexes,are,inanother,changedintoasober
consideration,orapatienceofmutualdisgust.Thischangeisremarkedincrossingthe
Mediterranean,infollowingthecourseoftheMississippi,inascendingthemountainsof
Caucasus,andinpassingfromtheAlpsandthePyreneestotheshoresoftheBaltic.
"Theburningardorsandtorturingjealousiesoftheseraglioandharem,whichhave
reignedsolonginAsiaandAfrica,andwhich,inthesouthernpartsofEurope,have
scarcelygivenwaytothedifferencesofreligionandcivilestablishments,arefound,
however,withanabatementofheatintheclimate,tobemoreeasilychanged,inone
latitude,intoatemporarypassion,whichengrossesthemindwithoutenfeeblingit,and
whichexcitestoromanticachievements.Byafartherprogresstothenorthitischanged
intoaspiritofgallantry,whichemploysthewitandfancymorethantheheart,which
prefersintriguetoenjoyment,andsubstitutesaffectionandvanitywheresentimentand
desirehavefailed.Asitdepartsfromthesun,thesamepassionisfurthercomposed
intoahabitofdomesticconnection,orfrozenintoastateofinsensibility,underwhich
thesexesatfreedomscarcelychoosetounitetheirsociety."
Evenamongpeoplewherebeautyreceivedthehighesthomagewefindmenwhowould
deprivethesexofeverykindofreputation."Themostvirtuouswoman,"saysa
celebratedGreek,"isshewhoisleasttalkedof."Thatmoroseman,whileheimposes
dutiesuponwomen,woulddeprivethemofthesweetsofpublicesteem,andinexacting
virtuesfromthem,wouldmakeitacrimetoaspireathonor.
Ifawomanweretodefendthecauseofhersex,shemightaddresshiminthefollowing
manner:
"Howgreatisyourinjustice?Ifwehaveanequalrightwithyoutovirtue,whyshouldwe
nothaveanequalrighttopraise?Thepublicesteemoughttowaituponmerit.Our
dutiesaredifferentfromyours,buttheyarenotthereforelessdiffculttofulfil,orofless
consequencetosociety:Theyarethefountainsofyourfelicity,andthesweetnessof
life.Wearewivesandmothers.'Tiswewhoformtheunionandthecordialityof
families.'Tiswewhosoftenthatsavagerudenesswhichconsiderseverythingasdueto
force,andwhichwouldinvolvemanwithmanineternalwar.Wecultivateinyouthat
humanitywhichmakesyoufeelforthemisfortunesofothers,andourtearsforewarnyou
ofyourowndanger.Nay,youcannotbeignorantthatwehaveneedofcouragenotless
thanyou.Morefeebleinourselves,wehaveperhapsmoretrialstoencounter.Nature
assailsuswithsorrow,lawandcustompressuswithconstraint,andsensibilityand

virtuealarmuswiththeircontinualconflict.Sometimesalsothenameofcitizen
demandsfromusthetributeoffortitudeWhenyouofferyourbloodtotheStatethink
thatitisours.Ingivingitoursonsandourhusbandswegivemorethanourselves.You
canonlydieonthefieldofbattle,butwehavethemisfortunetosurvivethosewhomwe
lovemost.Alas!whileyourambitiousvanityisunceasinglylaboringtocovertheearth
withstatues,withmonuments,andwithinscriptionstoeternize,ifpossible,yournames,
andgiveyourselvesanexistence,whenthisbodyisnomore,whymustwebe
condemnedtoliveandtodieunknown?Wouldthatthegraveandeternalforgetfulness
shouldbeourlot.Benotourtyrantsinall:Permitournamestobesometimes
pronouncedbeyondthenarrowcircleinwhichwelive.Permitfriendship,oratleast
love,toinscribeitsemblemonthetombwhereourashesrepose;anddenyusnotthat
publicesteemwhich,aftertheesteemofone'sself,isthesweetestrewardofwell
doing."
Allmen,however,itmustbeowned,havenotbeenequallyunjusttotheirfair
companions.Insomecountriespublichonorshavebeenpaidtowomen.Arthas
erectedthemmonuments.Eloquencehascelebratedtheirvirtues,andhistoryhas
collectedwhatevercouldadorntheircharacter.