Throughout human history, there has always been a common belief that women are inferior to men. The Bible demonstrates that God created the first woman Eve from Adam's rib and that God “does not permit a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man; rather she should keep silent” (1 Timothy 2:11-15). However, aware of their important role in the family and in society and tired of being mistreated by men, women ended up defending themselves. In the 19th century, the feminist movement emerged and completely changed the lives of millions of women in the United States until today. The movement offers new perspectives and protects women's rights in social and political aspects. Structured Inequality/Justification: The feminist movement has been divided into three waves, first characterized by Marsha Lear in The New York Times Magazine in 1968 (Henry). The first wave of feminist movement occurred in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. This period was known for its rapid territorial and economic growth, its milestones in political developments, and especially social and political reforms. During this period, women were confined to household chores, ruled by and politically attached to their husbands, and received no higher education. Thus, the First Movement focused on the rights of women to access social status in these aspects and in particular the right to vote. Before the 1780s, state laws mostly allowed only white men to vote. In 1797, New Jersey was the first state to allow women to vote by limiting the right to vote to only women with money or property ("Women's Suffrage"). In 1860, the revised Married Women's Property Act was passed, allowing women to have control over their children's wills and money....... middle of paper.... ..aludi, Susan. Backlash: The Undeclared War on American Women. New York: Crown, 1991. Print. Henry, Astrid (2004). Not My Mother's Sister: Generational Conflict and Third Wave Feminism. Indiana University Press. p. 58. ISBN 9780253111227.Kendra, Charles. “The feminist movement”. Np, April 23, 2012. Web. .Rowe-Finkbeiner, Kristin (2004). The word F. Emeryville: Seal press. ISBN 978-1-58005-114-9. OCLC 55504351. Tinsley E. Yarbrough (2005). David Hackett Souter: Traditional Republican on the Rehnquist Court. Oxford University Press. ISBN978-0-19-515933-2. Retrieved 06/27/2008. Wellman, Judith. The Road to Seneca Falls: Elizabeth Cady Stanton and the First Women's Rights Convention. Urbana: University of Illinois, 2004. “Women’s Suffrage” Print. Collier's New Encyclopedia. 1921.