in the 19th century, there was something called the “cult of domesticity” for many american women. this meant that most married women were expected to stay in the home and raise children. as in other countries, american wives were very much under the control of their husband, and had almost no rights. women who were not married had only a few jobs open to them, such as working in clothing factories and serving as maids. by the 19th century, women such as lucretia mott and elizabeth cady stanton thought that women should have more rights. in 1848, many of these women met and agreed to fight for more rights for women, including voting. many of the women involved in the movement for women’s rights were also involved in the movement to end slavery.