A Man for the CauseThe equality of all humans is still a debated topic today in the United States. In the 18th century, the equality of certain humans was a subject that privileged populations tended to ignore. During this period, a very small group of humans were given all rights, this group consisted of white male property owners. Neither women nor African Americans had full rights during this time. Women would not gain the right to vote until 1920 and African Americans until 1869, but even then they would not gain the rights that white men had (Staff History.com; Staff ACLU). As you can imagine, 18th-century white men were not inclined to dole out equality to those they thought were beneath them. But this did not apply to all white men of the time. A man named Walt Whitman opposed these societal beliefs and desired equality for all. Whitman's beliefs about human equality are most often seen in his writings, such as Leaves of Grass. His display doesn't stop there, he also spreads it through his daily life. Through these media, he expressed his belief that humans, despite their race, gender, and sexuality, were all equal and valuable to society. Whitman made numerous references to women throughout his work and often spoke of them grouped with men. In the 18th century, women had limited rights. After marriage, women could no longer own property, sign a contract, or even keep the money they earned. All these rights were granted to their husbands (National Museum of Women's History). Although he lived during this time, Whitman did not believe in these societal norms. During his early years as a poet he encountered many writings...... middle of paper ...... style-On-Tyne, 1886. N . “Leaves of Grass: The Poems of Walt Whitman,” Creative Commons. Internet. April 23, 2014. History.com Staff. “The Struggle for Women’s Suffrage.” History.com. A&E Television Networks, 2009. Web. April 21, 2014. “Leaves of Grass: Preface.” » Leaves of Grass: Preface. Stockton Education, 2009. Web. April 23, 2014. Miller, James E., Jr. “The Walt Whitman Archive.” Sex and sexuality. Creative Commons, and Web. April 23, 2014. Price, Kenneth M. and Ed Folsom. “About Walt Whitman.” About Walt Whitman. Illinois Education, 1995. Web. April 22, 2014. “Women’s Rights.” Women's rights. National Museum of Women's History, 2007. Web. April 23, 2014.Stewart, Lyn. "How gay people were treated before the 21st century." HubPages. HubPages, 2014. Web. April 23, 2014. “Timeline: A History of the Voting Rights Act.” » American Civil Liberties Union. ACLU, nd Web. April 20. 2014.