Women and Independence in Latin America An exploration of women's involvement in the Latin American Wars of Independence |
Gender:Female
Ethnic origen: Unknown
Events:
1794 | - | Caracas | - | Unknown | - | She petitioned the courts to solve her marriage difficulties. |
Connections:
Women's rightsTexts:
1794 - petition
Biography:
In 1794 she petitioned the courts of Caracas to resolve her marriage problems. She questioned her husband's role as head of her family and sought protection from the courts for her individual freedom. (Díaz, 2, 14)
In 1794 she wrote to the court, "How hard is the plight of a married woman! One rarely finds a husband who has the same regard toward his consorte. … The husband becomes a tyrant, the wife a slave, the home hell, and the children are unfortunate witnesses to this horrible and lamentable metamorphosis." (Díaz, 96) She added, "marriage though a sacrament always remains a pact". (Díaz, 97)
References:
Díaz, Arlene J. (2004) Female Citizens, Patriarchs and the Law in Venezuela, 1796-1904