In our ongoing series #WomenThatDid ENTITY profiles inspirational and famous women in history whose impact on our world can still be felt today. If you have a suggestion for a historical powerhouse you would like to see featured tweet us with the hashtag #WomenThatDid.
Name: Mary Wollstonecraft
Lifetime: April 27, 1759 – September 10, 1797
What She’s Known For: Mary Wollstonecraft is best known for being an early feminist, when she penned A Vindication of the Rights of Women, a founding text of the later feminist movements. She was one of the first people to give the idea that women weren’t naturally inferior, but instead, they just needed to be educated.
Why We Love Her: Wollstonecraft is best known for her feminist text, but she led a wild, liberal, and passionate life as well. She was fiercely anti-marriage, and carried on an affair with an American adventurer, leading to the birth of her first child, Fanny. Wollstonecraft had always been popular in the literary circles, which is where she met her husband, William Godwin, also anti-marriage. The pair only decided to marry because Wollstonecraft was pregnant and they wanted their child to enjoy the rights of legitimate children. Wollstonecraft died a few days after giving birth to her daughter, Mary Shelley. Unfortunately, Wollstonecraft’s legacy was tarnished when Godwin published her memoirs after death, talking about her personal life. The public was scandalized, and Wollstonecraft remained largely unknown through the early 19th century.
Fun Fact: Wollstonecraft wrote to the married Henry Fuseli, asking him to run away with her. His response, “I’m married.” Unfazed, Wollstonecraft then wrote to his wife, asking her to join them together. The wife was not happy, and Fuseli was forced to break off his relationship with Wollstonecraft.
