Contents
Mary Wollstonecraft
Arguing that women deserve an education grounded in reason and equality.
Thoughts on the Education of Daughters · A Vindication of the Rights of Woman
- Born
- 27 April 1759
- Birthplace
- London, England
- Died
- 10 September 1797
More people
Mary Wollstonecraft
Mary Wollstonecraft was an English writer and philosopher who challenged the social production of women’s dependence. Her work joined educational reform with wider arguments about liberty and moral responsibility.
Early life
Unstable finances
Her family moved repeatedly as her father’s financial position declined.
Self-education
Read widely despite limited opportunities for formal schooling.
Career
- 1780s
Teaching and care work
Worked as a companion, teacher and governess.
- 1787
Professional writer
Moved into reviewing, translating and writing for publisher Joseph Johnson.
- 1790s
Political authorship
Responded to revolutionary debates in Britain and France.
Selected work
Thoughts on the Education of Daughters
Early work on girls’ education.
A Vindication of the Rights of Woman
Challenges assumptions used to deny women rational independence.
Letters from Scandinavia
Blends travel observation with personal reflection.
Beyond work
Revolutionary France
Lived in France during the Revolution.
Literary family
Married William Godwin; their daughter Mary Shelley became the author of Frankenstein.
Sources & photo credit
Biography ↗Life and work ↗Photo: John Opie. Public domain · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.
