Excerpt from Angelina Emily Grimke’s Letter XII, October 2, 1837
The investigation of the rights of the slave has led me to a better understanding of my own. I have fought the Anti-Slavery cause to be the high school of morals in our land—the school in which human rights are more fully investigated, and better understood and taught, than in any other. . . . Human beings have rights, because they are moral beings: the rights of all men grow out of their moral nature; and as all men have the same moral nature, they have essentially the same rights. These rights may be wrested from the slave, but they cannot be alienated. . . . Now if rights are founded in the nature of our moral being, then the mere circumstances of sex does not give to man higher rights and responsibilities, than to women. . . . To suppose that it does, would be to break up utterly the relations, of the two natures . . . exalting the animal nature into a monarch, and humbling the moral into a slave.
Use the excerpt to answer the question.
How does Grimke invoke founding principles to defend the women’s rights movement?
A.
Natural liberties are not limited by sex.
B.
All citizens have the ability to petition government.
C.
Free women should have more freedom than enslaved persons.
D.
Popular sovereignty means that all citizens have an equal part in government.
PLEASE, ALSO EXPLAIN WHY ITS THE CORRECT ANSWER, DO NOT GUESS, USE THE EXPERT.
A. Natural liberties are not limited by sex.
Explanation: In the excerpt, Grimke argues that rights are founded in the nature of our moral being, and that the mere circumstances of sex does not give to man higher rights and responsibilities than to women. She argues that to suppose that it does would be to break up the relations of the two natures, exalting the animal nature into a monarch and humbling the moral into a slave. This implies that natural liberties should not be limited by sex, which is the answer to the question.
The correct answer is A. Natural liberties are not limited by sex.
In the excerpt, Grimke argues for the equality of women's rights by invoking founding principles. She states that rights are founded in the nature of our moral being, and because all men (including women) share the same moral nature, they have essentially the same rights. By emphasizing that rights are not determined by the circumstances of sex, Grimke challenges the prevailing notion that men have higher rights and responsibilities than women.
Grimke's argument aligns with the idea of natural liberties, which assert that individuals possess certain inherent rights simply by virtue of their humanity. These rights are not contingent on gender, race, or any other external factors. Grimke's invocation of natural liberties supports the belief that women deserve equal rights, as their moral nature entitles them to the same rights as men.
Therefore, option A, "Natural liberties are not limited by sex," is the correct answer as it accurately reflects Grimke's defense of the women's rights movement in relation to the founding principles of equal rights based on human moral nature.
The correct answer is A. Natural liberties are not limited by sex.
In the excerpt, Grimke argues that the rights of all individuals, including women, are derived from their moral nature, and therefore should be equal. She asserts that human rights are not determined by the circumstances of one's sex or any other external factor. By invoking the founding principle that rights are inherent to all humans, Grimke defends the women's rights movement and challenges the traditional notion of male superiority.