Mary Wollstonecraft (1759–1797) was an English writer, philosopher, and advocate for women's rights, widely regarded as one of the founding figures of modern feminism.
Key Works
Her most famous book, A Vindication of the Rights of Woman (1792), argued that women are not naturally inferior to men but lack education, which limits their potential as rational beings. She also wrote A Vindication of the Rights of Men (1790), a response to Edmund Burke's critique of the French Revolution, and other works like a history of the Revolution, novels, and travel narratives.
Early Life
Born in London to an abusive father, Wollstonecraft left home early, worked as a teacher and governess, and co-founded a school in Newington Green before turning to writing and translation for radical publisher Joseph Johnson.
Legacy and Death
She lived unconventionally, including a relationship with Gilbert Imlay and marriage to philosopher William Godwin; their daughter, Mary Shelley, authored Frankenstein. Wollstonecraft died at age 38 from childbirth complications shortly after her daughter's birth.
